Falling in Love is Sometimes Unexpected…
by MagCat
Summary: AU: When Gary Oak finds a young woman, he becomes involved in a nefarious plot by an organization to rule the world. Along the way, truths will be revealed, emotions and feelings expressed, and betrayals seen, throwing all that Gary knows into chaos...
1. Flashback, Part 1

**Summary:** AU: When Gary Oak finds an unconscious young woman, he becomes involved in a nefarious plot by an organization to rule the world. However, along the way, truths will be revealed, emotions and feelings expressed, and betrayal's emergence will throw all that Gary knows into chaos... **Couples: **Gary/Misty, Ash/Misty (a bit), Ash/Anabel, James/Jessie, Butch/Cassidy, Drew/May, Brendan/May, Tracey/Melody, Brock/Duplica, Ritchie/Casey, Paul/Dawn, Kenny/Zoe, and many more to come... Read and Review! Rating is for language, and maybe some kissing.

**Disclaimer: **As soon as I get my certificate of ownership saying I own _Pokémon_ then I'll tell you, but as of now it's not mine!!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**A/N Notes: **Hey, just so you know, I have a busy workload this semester, so I hope to update soon. Updates may be slow, but I hope to speed them up soon!

_**Falling in Love is Sometimes Unexpected…**_

**Chapter 1: Flashback, Part 1**

Gary's Point of View (POV)

_**7:30 PM, May 13, 2005; Ten miles outside of Viridian City, in Diglett Cave outside of the Viridian Forest, near Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

'It was morning when I found her; that is, she was lying unconscious on the ground. I don't know why, but I felt a strong connection to her, though I have absolutely no clue who she could possibly be. I remember when I found her…' thought twenty-one year old Gary Oak as he sat at his campfire, staring into the flames as he thought back to the events of just that morning…

FLASHBACK

_**7:30 AM, May 13, 2005; Ten miles outside of Viridian City, outskirts of Viridian Forest near Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

Gary felt something wet nudge his cheek, and as he opened his eyes, he saw his Umbreon, who had been sleeping beside him the previous night. He realized that something had to be seriously wrong, as Umbreon usually never woke him up this early in the morning…

"What's up, Umbreon?" asked Gary as he sat up in his sleeping bag, yawned, and looked at Umbreon inquiringly.

"Umbreon! Umbre, Umbre, Umbreon!" ("There's someone in danger of dying because she's unconscious and severely hurt!") replied Umbreon as she nudged her trainer harder.

"What?!" exclaimed Gary as he scrambled out of his sleeping bag, threw on his shirt and boots (he slept in his pants), packed up camp as quickly as he could, grabbed his black backpack, and turned to Umbreon.

"You're absolutely sure there's someone lying unconscious and hurt on a cliff not far from here?"

"Umbreon!" ("Yes, I'm sure!") replied Umbreon as she looked once more at Gary and then ran off in the direction where she could smell blood coming from.

"Hey Umbreon, wait up!" yelled Gary as he took off in hot pursuit of his Pokèmon, silently cursing that he was still half-asleep, and yelled, "Shit!" as he stumbled on a root sticking out of the ground and fell to his knees. He got back up and continued to run, cursing as branches struck his face, arms, and legs.

A few minutes later Gary emerged from the woods and onto a cliff, panting, and stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. Umbreon was standing guard over a woman who looked to be his age with tangled, bloody, and supposedly shoulder-length auburn hair, and her face was a sight that even Gary, with all the destruction he'd seen on his Pokémon journey, cringed to see. It was marred by bruises and cuts- some old ones covered in dry blood and new ones, especially one that ran from her left ear to the tip of her jaw, that were bleeding profusely.

Her body looked worn and dehydrated, like she had not had a meal in days, and bite and slash marks covered her legs, some deep and some shallow, some bleeding and some not bleeding, and the same marks were present on her arms. Her left shoulder looked to be at an angle; suggesting that it was dislocated, but Gary was unable to tell. He spotted a dark blue backpack- he presumed it to be hers- that looked to be about two feet away from her.

Gary began to move closer, but suddenly stopped when he heard crying coming from somewhere near the woman. He moved closer, and then spotted something moving under her right arm. Gary knelt, placed his backpack near him, and gently lifted the woman's arm. He started on seeing a Togetic, who was crying in pain from a slash marks on its wings and arms.

'My God…' thought Gary as he stared at the scene before him, and anger filled him. 'Whoever did this… whoever did it will pay dearly.'

Gary called Umbreon, who had been watching the woods warily for signs of any enemy approaching, and at her trainer's call, she ran over. Gary whispered to her, and then watched as she trotted over to the Togetic. She nudged Togetic, and after a moment, Togetic stopped crying and looked at Umbreon, curiosity burning in its eyes. It then squealed in delight and with its arms tried to reach out to Umbreon, but suddenly whimpered when it felt pain radiating from the cuts on its arms.

Umbreon, sensing the pain its fellow Pokémon was feeling, moved closer and gently boosted Togetic onto her back, and, once making sure Togetic was holding on the best it could, gently trotted to the edge of the woods, and looked at Gary, waiting for his instructions.

Gary, after witnessing this, slowly got up, retrieved his backpack, along with the woman's, and then bent down and slowly picked her up, making sure to support her head. As he began to walk off the cliff, he suddenly heard someone call out, "Magnitude!" and the ground began to shake. Gary could tell that if it were to be measured on a Richter Scale at that moment it would've measured a five, and he panicked.

"Fuck!" screamed Gary as he began to run, making sure to support the woman's head and legs, and as he ran, Umbreon instinctively ran alongside him. Gary heard the cracking of the ground, and risked a small glance back. His dark blue eyes widened in horror when he saw the cliff that he had been on just a few minutes ago fall into the lake three miles below. Gary then felt a branch hit him in the face and he continued running.

'I'm not going to make it…' he thought desperately as he heard footsteps follow him, and knew they were slowly catching up. He then glanced down at the face of the woman in his arms, and thought, 'No, I have to make it… I **have **to make it!'

Gary ran faster, if possible, and saw a cave carved out in the mountains around him just up ahead. He yelled to Umbreon to follow him, and then he veered suddenly and ran into the cave, Umbreon with Togetic following. Gary ran a good distance in- he wasn't sure how far- and stopped, slowly panting and then when he heard voices held his breath, hoping to God they wouldn't come in to see if he was there.

"Where the hell did that brat go with our prisoner?" exclaimed one man angrily, and Gary's mind flashed in recognition of the voice- it was Brendan Birch's, son of Professor Birch in the Hoenn Region and one of Gary's good friends. Brendan and Gary had known each other from a very young age, stemming from meetings between his grandfather- Professor Oak, Professor Elm of the Johto Region, and Professor Birch every now and then to discuss the accumulation of information on the growing world of Pokémon.

"Calm down Brendan. He couldn't have gone very far," answered the other man assuredly, and once more Gary shivered as he recognized the voice belonging to Ritchie, who like Brendan, was one of his friends. Gary had met him in both the Indigo and Johto Leagues and they got along very well.

"Should we check in there?" asked Brendan anxiously, sounding to Gary like he wanted to hurt someone.

"Nah. Think Brendan; if I'm not mistaken that was Gary Oak and knowing him like I do, he would have made a beeline for Viridian City, not too far from here. Let's go," replied Ritchie as he looked disdainfully at the cave, and then began walking away, Brendan at his side.

After Gary was sure the two men were gone, he breathed a huge sigh of relief and gently laid the woman on the ground of the cave. He then took a Pokéball off his belt and threw it, calling out softly, "I choose you, Magmar!" In a burst of white light, a Pokémon that looked like it had crawled out of a volcano emerged and said, "Magmar!" (Where's my opponent?").

"Shh…" hushed Gary as he placed a finger against his lips, signaling to Magmar to be quiet. "Magmar, there's no opponent, but I need you to use the flame on your tail to light this area over here so I can clean this woman's wounds. Got it?"

"Mag," ("Yes,") replied Magmar, softer than before and slowly moved over to where Gary was kneeling next to the woman. Magmar then held his tail over the two adults, carefully making sure it didn't burn anyone, and Gary set to work on tending to the woman's wounds.

"Damn, I wish I had some water," muttered Gary as he dug through his backpack looking for his canteens of water. "I must've left them back at the campsite in my hurry to follow Umbreon," he muttered again, finally giving up in the search for water in his own supplies. He strained his ears in the cave, praying there'd be any sound of water- a trickle, a roar, anything- that he could follow to a water source and then use to help the woman.

After a few moments, on hearing nothing, he eyed the woman's backpack, and against his better judgement opened it and by the light of Magmar's tail began to search through it for water. "Ah-ha! Got some!" exclaimed Gary softly as his hands closed on a large canteen that he assumed held water. As he pulled it out something else came out with it and fluttered to the ground.

"Huh, what's this?" murmured Gary as he quietly placed the canteen on the floor of the cave and picked up a photograph. As he examined it he exclaimed in surprise, "It's Ash… and this woman." The photograph was indeed a picture of Ash Ketchum, complete with blue jeans, a dark blue tee shirt covered with a red vest and his red and white baseball cap, which covered his always-messy black hair, his ever-present Pikachu on his head. He had his arm around the waist of the woman with Gary at that moment, and she was grinning widely at the camera, her hair indeed a rich dark auburn and in a braid, her green-blue eyes sparkling in happiness. Gary took a closer look and saw a diamond ring on the woman's left ring finger.

"So, if this is Ash's fiancée," Gary looked up from the photo and to the woman "then where in the hell is Ash; and more importantly who is this woman?"

Gary shook his head and carefully placed the photo back in the woman's backpack and got to work cleaning all of the woman's wounds, which took quite a while, what with all the blood and all. He then got out his first-aid kit, which he thought ruefully had everything but cleaning alcohol and water, and set to work bandaging the woman's wounds. For a wound he found on her chest, he had to take off her light blue tank top or at least lift it. Gary was a little uneasy about this understandably, but knew he had to do it. He swallowed any gentlemanly honor that told him he shouldn't be doing what he was about to do and carefully lifted the tank and quickly but skillfully bandaged her wounds. He then took out some smaller bandages and got to work on her face.


	2. Flashback, Part 2

**Shout-outs:**

**_bobby()- _**Thanks for checkin' this out… enjoy!

**_some dude- _**Um… thanks. Here's the next chapter!

**_Maia's Pen- _**Thanks so much for your support! I absolutely love your fic., and I love how you reviewed two times! Thanks again. Enjoy chapter 2!

**_2A2N- _**Thanks for reviewing my story! Update soon!

**_Lyra loves to read- _**Thanks for reviewing. Yeah, I know it's a bit graphic, but this way Gary's heroic instincts kick in. I always felt they were in him somewhere… Enjoy the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **Alright, here's my certificate… no, it says I own a _Fire Red_ Pokémon version- which I do- but not the series… no!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 2: Flashback, Part 2**

Gary's POV 

_**1:30 PM, May 13, 2005; Ten miles outside of Viridian City, in Diglett Cave outside of the Viridian Forest, near Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

"Finally… done," muttered Gary, as he finished bandaging the woman to the best of his abilities. He examined his handiwork, and nodded in satisfaction at the tightly wound bandages covering the woman almost from head to toe.

"Mag?" ("Are you done yet, Gary?") asked Magmar as he glanced at his trainer, sensing him begin to relax a bit.

"Yeah, I'm done. Thanks," replied Gary as he nodded to his Pokémon and quickly put away the first-aid kit. He then looked over to where Umbreon's rings were glowing a bright blue.

"Togetic okay, pal?" asked Gary a bit wearily as he got to his feet slowly and walked over to where his Umbreon was.

"Umbre, Umbreon," ("Yeah, he's sleeping now,") replied the shadow Pokèmon as she lifted her head from her paws and looked at Gary, who looked like he was about to keel over.

"Umbreon?" ("You okay Gary?") she asked as she got to her feet and glowed her rings a bit brighter so Gary would have some more light.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" murmured Gary as he suddenly fell to his knees and retched whatever was left in his stomach from the night before. After a few minutes, Gary lifted his head and said, "I've never seen so much blood in my whole life… not even after I saw Terri die…" Gary trailed off as he thought about his now-dead girlfriend Terri Shaw, who had been murdered six months ago by renegade Pokémon hunters. Gary had made sure that they had suffered, but the image of him holding a dying Terri had never left his mind.

Gary shook his head, in an attempt to drive the image out, and then glanced over at the wounded Togetic, who was sleeping fitfully.

"Damn, I forgot to treat Togetic…" he murmured as he once more looked at the Pokèmon, who was now whimpering in pain, as he kept hitting his arms on the dirt ground as he flailed about in pain.

"Umbreon, go and grab my supply of Pokémon medicine, will ya?" Gary asked wearily, and as Umbreon ran over to Gary's backpack Gary slowly got up and walked over to the thrashing Togetic. He gently picked the Pokèmon up and called Magmar over.

When Magmar arrived, Gary instructed him to shine the flame over Togetic, as he had done when treating the woman and Gary examined the injured Pokémon, gently running his fingers over the slash marks on his wings and arms. He also found burn marks present on Togetic's stomach, and some minor ones on his face.

"Umbre?" (Is Togetic okay?) asked Umbreon worriedly as she came running over with the bag of Pokémon medicine that Gary kept with him.

"Yeah, he'll be okay," replied Gary as he looked up at Umbreon and flashed her a small smile of reassurance. He then looked through the bag while resting the injured Togetic on his lap.

"Here we go…" murmured Gary as he pulled out a hyper potion, some burn heals, and bandages. He then nodded at Magmar to turn up the flame on his tail a bit more, and then he set to work on Togetic.

"This may sting a bit…" murmured Gary as he took one of the burn heals and sprayed it on the Pokèmon's chest.

"Tog!" (Ow!) whimpered Togetic as he felt the medicine hit his skin.

"Shhh… it's okay; you'll be alright," soothed Gary as he took some more burn heals and gently applied them to Togetic's face. Togetic didn't cry out; it was able to sense the sincerity in Gary's heart and instinctively knew this stranger wouldn't hurt him.

When Gary had finished with the burn heals, he then took the hyper potion, and after warning Togetic that it would be stronger than the burn heals had been, applied it. Togetic screamed in pain at the potion's feel, and then quieted when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"What now?" asked Gary wearily as he gently put Togetic on the ground and motioned Umbreon to come beside him. They moved into battle stance, and were mesmerized as they watched a family of Dugtrio and Diglett flee past them, followed by a herd of Rhyhorn. The wild Pokémon took no notice of Gary or his Pokèmon and just kept on going, turning down a tunnel not far from Gary's "camp" a few feet away.

Both Gary and Umbreon blinked, and said, "Okay, that was weird, (Umbreon,)". They then both shook their heads at the same time and returned to Togetic, who had been watching the scene with some interest gleaming in his black eyes.

Gary then told Umbreon to take his Pokémon medicine back to his backpack while he finished treating Togetic. Umbreon obeyed, and Gary carefully bandaged Togetic's wings, warning him as he did so that he shouldn't try flying for a while. Togetic nodded, and then let Gary put smaller bandages on his face.

Gary then got to his feet, cracking his back as he did so, and bent down and picked up Togetic. Togetic instantly snuggled into Gary's embrace, feeling completely safe in the trainer's arms. Surprised, Gary instinctively held Togetic a bit closer as he walked over to Togetic's trainer. He rather liked having someone- even if it was a Pokémon- rely on him for protection. Sure, his own Pokémon relied on him for warmth, food, shelter, and help, but this Togetic wasn't even his; and he was entrusting his life to him.

Gary, upon reaching the injured woman, beckoned Magmar over once more, and after putting Togetic on the ground near its trainer, began checking the woman's bandages. After a few minutes Gary found everything to be in order, and then he felt Umbreon nudge Gary in the leg.

"What's up?" asked Gary as he stared into Umbreon's bright yellow eyes.

"Umbreon, Umbre?" (Can I have something to eat now?) asked Umbreon, and then Magmar chimed in with his request for food as well.

Gary cracked a grin and said, "Yeah, sure. I forgot that I haven't fed you guys at all today." Gary then got up and walked over to his backpack, where he took out a container of Pokémon chow he had gotten as a gift from his friend Brock Slate for Christmas. Gary and Brock hadn't started out as friends, but after Ash had won the Hoenn League a few years ago Gary had come to Pewter City to do some research on rock and ground Pokémon, and he and Brock had ended up becoming friends.

Gary then took the other four Pokéballs off his belt and, throwing them into the air, said, "Come out everybody!"

In a short flash of white light four other Pokémon emerged, and stood before Gary. They included an Arcanine, a Swablu, a Jolteon, and a Blastoise. Each of these Pokémon, like his Umbreon, had something different in their markings that classified them as "shinies".

For example, Gary's Umbreon has bright yellow eyes, light blue rings on her body that glow blue in the dark, and a blood red scar running from her right ear to the top of her right eye.

Arcanine has dark purple eyes instead of red ones, his mane is a deep brown, and one of the stripes near his tail is a forest green.

His Swablu isn't blue like others in her species, but is light lavender with pink eyes, along with the customary white, cloud-like wings.

Blastoise, Gary's first Pokémon, and one of his favorites, looks just like any other Blastoise; except for the black shell and green eyes that Gary noticed when he was a Squirtle.

Gary's Jolteon isn't really his; it was his girlfriend Terri's. After Gary got revenge on the Pokémon hunters who killed Terri, Gary took in the only Pokémon of hers that was still alive- her Jolteon named Zap. His fur is the opposite of a regular Jolteon's, with the fur that is usually white a pale goldenrod yellow and the fur that is usually yellow a very light white color. His eyes are the customary black. Besides his Blastoise and Umbreon Zap is Gary's favorite Pokémon, as it reminds him of Terri and how much she had meant to him.

Gary's Magmar is just a regular Pokémon, but because of the special training Gary gave him, he is as strong as a Blaziken.

"Blast?" (What's up Gary?) asked Gary's Blastoise as he looked around the cave, confusion evident in his green eyes. The other newly emerged Pokémon chimed in with their questions as they looked around the cave. Zap then saw the woman and instantly ran over to her.

"Zap, no!" whispered Gary urgently as he ran over to the woman, afraid Zap's rough fur would do more harm to the woman than good. When he reached the woman, he saw Zap sitting at the woman's head, tears present in his eyes as he watched her sleep.

"Jolt, Jolteon?" (Is she alive, Gary?) Zap asked as he watched the woman, his eyes looking for anything out of the ordinary that would indicate otherwise.

"Yeah, bud, she's alive," replied Gary as he knelt beside Zap and patted him on the head. "I know you miss Terri; I miss her too."

Gary and Zap then sat there for a few moments, thinking about Terri's death. Although their wounds had started to heal, it would still take a long time for them to be back to their old selves.

Gary then felt something nudge him and looked to see his Swablu, looking up at him with hunger shining in her pink eyes.

"Swab, Swab, Lu!" (I'm hungry, Gary!) Swablu piped softly, being sure to not wake the woman, and then flew over to where Gary had left the Pokémon food when he had released his other Pokémon.

"I'm coming. Zap, shall we?" replied Gary as he once more got to his feet and walked over to where his Pokémon were all waiting. He heard Zap follow and grinned a small smile.

"All right, guys, chow time," Gary said as he rationed out the food, making sure each Pokémon got the right portions. He then put away the rest of the food and got out an energy bar to eat.

_**7:20 PM, May 13, 2005; Ten miles outside of Viridian City, in Diglett Cave outside of the Viridian Forest, near Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

When everyone had finished eating Gary recalled his Blastoise, Swablu, Arcanine, and Magmar, leaving Umbreon and Zap with him. Gary then pulled out his sleeping bag and placed it on the other side of the bonfire he built a small bonfire, and sat near it, looking into the flames for a while. He kept his ears and eyes open, ready to help the woman if she would need it during the night. He watched Zap slowly pad over to the woman and gently get ready to sleep near her head. He smiled sadly; he remembered how Zap had always done that with Terri and Gary realized just how much he really missed her.

"Umbreon?" (You okay?) asked Umbreon as she came up beside Gary and placed her head in his lap.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just remembering the past," responded Gary as he absentmindedly pet Umbreon on the head while staring into the flames.

FLASHBACK ENDS

He soon dozed off, not realizing that the Togetic was watching him, trust shining in his eyes as he watched his mistress's hero slip off into the world of sleep.


	3. Introduction to the Enemy

**Shout-outs:**

_**bobby()- **_Thanks for reviewin' again… enjoy this chapter!

_**pojke shit rocks( ) - **_Thanks. Here's the next chapter, and be assured, I will continue!

_**Maia's Pen- **_Thanks so much for your reviewing again, and for adding me to your author's alert! I was so psyched! Thanks again. Enjoy chapter 3!

_**hroondeel- **_Thanks for reviewing my story and for adding me to your favorite list! I was so psyched! Enjoy this chapter!

_**Lyra loves to read- **_Thanks for reviewing. I like it that you like Gary's Pokémon, and yeah, me too. I wish all guys were like Gary. Enjoy the next chapter!

_**Ori- **_Thanks for reviewing and enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **Okay, my certificate says I own _Pokémon Blue_- which I do- but this isn't what I need!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 3: Introduction to the Enemy**

_**9:00 AM, May 14, 2005; Office of Master Elder, Undisclosed Location**_

"What?" rang the scream of the Master Elder of the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters through the complex hidden in an undisclosed location.

Brendan and Ritchie covered their ears in a vain attempt to drown out the Master Elder's deafening voice as he found out about their failed attempt to recapture the escaped prisoner.

"How in the world could you idiots let her escape?" demanded the Master Elder. The two young men dropped their hands to their sides, raised their heads and looked at the Master Elder. The Master Elder in his true form was unknown, as he was cast into shadow, but the one thing his hunters knew about him was that he had dark green eyes that shone like emeralds when he was angry. As of the moment his dark green eyes sparkled in anger as he beheld his two young charges; in fact, two of the best of his many, many charges.

"I'm sorry, sir. We almost had her; in fact Houndoom and Lairon almost had her but a young man interfered," said Brendan as he tried to recall the man's face but the vision had somehow become blurred.

"Interference, you say?" responded the Master Elder as he leaned further back into the shadows present behind his steel gray desk. His eyes grew brighter when he understood the full implications of Brendan's words. He then spoke, his voice low with an undertone of anger, glaring at the white-haired man in front of him as he asked, "How could there have been interference, considering we have all the charges we need?"

"If I may," began Ritchie but instantly stopped speaking when the Master Elder turned his eyes to him. He then continued on receiving a barely noticeable nod from the older man, "I believe the man we encountered may have not been in attendance at the special conference we held in Fuchsia City, Olivine City, and Slateport City a few months ago. He may have been in another region and not received the invitation in time."

"True," mused the Master Elder as he thought carefully and on reviewing those trainers who had sent affirmative replies to the invitations he realized that one trainer had not sent a yes or no.

"Gary Oak," he murmured, and suddenly snapped his head up and snarled, "Oak, you bastard! How dare you interfere in my plans… you two," he said addressing Brendan and Ritchie, "get out of here now! And don't come back unless you are called!"

Brendan and Ritchie bowed and quickly left the Master Elder's office. The Master Elder then sat behind his desk and put his head on his hands.

"Oak, don't worry… I will get you, sooner or later." The Master Elder then began to laugh maniacally, his laugh echoing around the complex until all of his charges winced in fear of what he was planning to do next.

_**9:10 AM, May 14, 2005; Underground hallways leading to the dorm rooms, Undisclosed Location**_

"I hope the Master Elder catches Oak and makes him pay," muttered Brendan angrily as he stalked down the hall, his shoulder-length white hair blowing behind him.

Brendan Birch is 21 years old with shoulder-length white hair and blue eyes. He is about six feet tall and is known for his fierce battling style. He is one of the Master Elder's best charges, and one of the most loyal.

Ritchie Lagner is also 21 years old, and has dark auburn, short-spiked hair and brown eyes. He is about five feet eight inches tall and is known for his excellent defensive moves and speed attacks. He is also one of Master Elder's best charges, and one of the most loyal, although he harbors some small doubts.

Both men, like all of the other male charges, were clothed in black jeans, black muscle tanks, and bright red jackets with a black phoenix rising from the ashes design on the front and back. They also wore black bandannas with red phoenix logos on them to keep the hair out of their faces, black fingerless gloves, and black boots. Their Pokéballs were kept on their belts, and unlike normal belts these ones could hold up to ten Pokéballs on them; they both have nine Pokéballs on their belts. As far as Brendan and Ritchie knew, they had been serving the Master Elder and his cause for their whole lives and were some of his best charges.

"Calm down Brendan," said Ritchie as he jogged up to the anxious-looking Brendan and put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen: the Master Elder will take care of everything and will call if we are needed. Let's go see our girls, shall we?"

Brendan cracked a smile at the remark and he and Ritchie continued down the hall until they reached a dorm room that had the names "May" and "Casey" on the door in black, red, and dark purple. Brendan knocked smartly, and when he heard someone yell, "One minute!" he instantly tensed up.

Ritchie noticed this and immediately tried to hold Brendan back, but was too late. Brendan had already kicked open the door, charged through and could be seen hitting someone. Ritchie groaned and covered his face with his hands, knowing that Drew was getting another beating.

Andrew "Drew" Rhosyn has light green hair cut short to his head and gray eyes. He is about five feet eight inches tall and is one of the higher-ranked charges but lower than Brendan and Ritchie. He is known in battling as an excellent trainer but sometimes a bit too showy for the Master Elder's tastes.

He, like Brendan and Ritchie, is in black jeans, a black muscle tank, and a bright red jacket with the black design of the phoenix on the front and back. He also wears a black bandanna with the red phoenix logo, black fingerless gloves, black boots, and his Pokébelt holds eight Pokéballs.

"Get off," sputtered Drew as he tried to push Brendan off but failed when he was hit in the nose.

"Mess around with my girl, will you?" asked Brendan angrily as he continued to beat Drew up. Both men suddenly stopped fighting when they heard a voice say, "Stop it now!"

May Maple is 20 years old with shoulder-length brown hair and dark blue eyes. She is about five feet four inches tall, and is one of the best female charges, letting all the other females know it. She is known as an excellent defensive battler and is one of the Master Elder's favorites.

She, like the others, is clothed in the black jeans and bright red jacket with the black phoenix on the front and back. However, she and the other females wear tee shirts instead of muscle tanks, along with the customary black fingerless gloves, black bandannas with the red phoenix symbol, and black boots. May has nine Pokéballs on her belt and a silver pendant necklace that the Master Elder "supposedly" gave her.

Beside an angry May stood an equally angry Casey, who was staring daggers at the two men who had been fighting, consequently, on her stash of candy that she had been hiding from the Master Elder.

Casey Signit is 20 years old and has dark purple hair that is just beyond her shoulders and blue eyes. She is about five feet three inches tall and like May is one of the best female charges. She is known for her swift attacks and is very loyal to the Master Elder.

She also wears black jeans, a black tee shirt, and a bright red jacket with the black phoenix on the front and back. Her bandanna is exactly like May's, and she wears black fingerless gloves and black boots. She, like May, has nine Pokéballs on her belt and wears a small gold chain that she found on the ground of Viridian Forest during a training mission.

"Drew! Brendan! What in the hell are you doing on top of _my_ stash of candy?" demanded Casey as she marched into the room and stared daggers once more at the two men. Ritchie groaned again as he came up behind his girlfriend and tried to get her attention but to no avail.

"Uh… sorry Cas," said both Drew and Brendan as they quickly got up from on top of the candy and stared at their feet like five-year olds who knew they were going to get punished.

May groaned and marched up to the two men whom she knew were constantly fighting for her affections, took each of them by the ear and dragged them out of her dorm room with Casey and Ritchie following.

"You both are assholes! Come on, grow up! Fighting over me when you could be preparing yourselves to recapture the escaped prisoner and redeem yourselves in the eyes of our great Master Elder!" yelled May as she reprimanded the two men in the middle of the hall, attracting the attention of the other charges.

"Sorry," muttered Drew and Brendan as they listened to May's lecture with open ears and downcast faces, not bothering to wonder how May knew that Drew had failed in guarding the prisoner's cell and consequently let her escape while Brendan had failed to bring her back. When she had finished they bowed in respect to her and walked toward their dorms, both avoiding looking at each other.

"What am I going to do with them?" moaned May as she put her face in her hands. On receiving no response from Ritchie or Casey, she glared at them and stomped back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"What're you all staring at? Show's over; get the hell out of here!" yelled Casey as she glared at the other charges gathered around the dorm. She and Ritchie watched as the charges, most mumbling under their breath about how they missed a good fight, walked away, some shooting glares over their shoulders at the purple haired woman.

"Cas, you really need to calm down," said Ritchie as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. Casey spun around and was about to hit him when she caught sight of his lopsided grin and she, not immune to its effects, lowered her hand and smiled in response.

"Guess your right, Ritch," said Casey as she turned around and let herself lean into Ritchie's embrace.

After a few moments Casey stood up once more and said, "Guess I'm going to have to go and calm May down; again. See you later." Casey turned, gave Ritchie a quick peck on the mouth, and walked to the door to her dorm and entered, closing the door behind her softly.

Ritchie merely smiled and continued down the hall towards the dorm he shared with Brendan, hoping to calm the man down before he went and beat Drew up again.


	4. Rush to Get Help

**Shout-outs:**

**_some dude: _**Thanks for the review, appreciate the kirby thumb-up! Enjoy!

**_Maia's Pen: _**Thanks for the review! Glad u liked Casey and Ritchie… I thought about who to pair Ritchie up with and then I thought… 'Why not Casey?' I think it'll work out well. Also glad u liked my enemies… as for how much danger Gary's in… wait and see! ; )

**_Lyra loves to Read: _**Don't worry, Gary is in this chapter… enjoy!

**_The Mistress of Darkness: _** Don't worry, here's ur update! Enjoy!

**_MidnightMist (): _**Enjoy this chapter, and here's some more Gary for u!

**_A/N: _**Hey, here's another chapter, and updates will be slow b/c begging is a necessary tool in my gainin' access to the computer. Review please, and oh, review! Selfish, aren't I? ;) I also thank all of u who took the time to look at my fic.! ( I love the hits counter!)

**Disclaimer: **Ok, my Pidgeot had my certificate on him, but unfortunately lost it during a battle w/ a wild Fearow… "sob…"

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 4: Rush to Get Help**

_**10:20 AM, May 14, 2005; Ten miles outside of Viridian City, in Diglett Cave outside of the Viridian Forest, near Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

Someone crying near him jolted Gary awake. He looked around anxiously and then he remembered what had happened yesterday. He looked around and his eyes landed on the injured woman, who was thrashing around, crying out in pain. Gary saw Zap whimpering at the woman's distress, remembering when Terri had died six months ago.

Gary got to his feet and ran over to the woman. He got to his knees and felt her forehead, but quickly pulled it away when he discovered that she was burning hot.

"Damn, she has one hell of a fever," muttered Gary as he thought about what to do. Umbreon had run over when she felt Gary move. She glanced worriedly at her trainer, seeing panic set in his eyes.

"Umbreon? (What now?)" asked Umbreon as she looked from Gary to the thrashing woman. Gary noticed Togetic was near his trainer, and quickly grabbed the normal-type Pokémon so the woman wouldn't injure him while she was thrashing around.

"I think we really need to get her to a hospital," replied Gary as he thought for a moment while gently holding Togetic. He then looked at both Umbreon and Zap and said, "We need to get both of them out of this cave and to Viridian City as quickly as possible. Umbreon, go grab both my backpack and the woman's; Zap, use Sand-Attack on the remnants of the bonfire to make sure it is completely out." After Gary gave the commands his two Pokémon rushed off to do their trainer's bidding. Umbreon grabbed both Gary's black backpack and the woman's dark blue backpack in her teeth and ran back to Gary while Zap kicked up a cloud to of sand onto the glowing embers of the fire with his hind legs and to make sure the fire was completely out stomped on the embers as well. Zap then ran back to Gary and looked up at his trainer, waiting for word of what next to do.

Gary, meanwhile, had carefully placed Togetic on the ground once more and moved to retrieve his Pokébelt from where he had taken it off the previous night to sleep. Once he retrieved it he chose Arcanine's Pokéball and said, "I choose you, Arcanine!"

In a flash of white light Gary's Arcanine emerged with a roar and turned its dark purple eyes to Gary, asking, "Canine? (What's wrong?)"

Gary's dark blue eyes told Arcanine everything he needed to know, and he walked over to his trainer and gently nudged Gary, hoping to comfort him. Gary cracked a small, worried smile and gently scratched behind Arcanine's left ear, and the large dog gently growled in contentment.

"Jolt, Jolt, Eon! (Gary, we need to go now!)" Zap said urgently as he came up behind Gary and grabbed Gary's pants leg with his teeth and began to pull on it. Gary felt it and was about to reprimand Zap when he remembered how worried Zap was that the woman would die like Terri. He mentally checked himself for forgetting the woman for even a second and ran back to her, yelling over his shoulder for Arcanine to follow.

Once back at the woman's side Gary quickly pulled a black blanket from his backpack and covered the woman with it. He then knelt beside her and gently picked her up, blanket and all, and placed her on Arcanine's withers, making sure to tell Arcanine as he did so to not move. Gary was afraid that if Arcanine moved the woman would fall and would further injure herself. He then opened his black backpack and, gently picking up Togetic, placed him inside his backpack and closed it, leaving enough unzipped so Togetic could still breathe. He then placed his backpack, along with the woman's, over his shoulders and got up onto Arcanine's back carefully.

Gary then looked down at Umbreon and Zap, took their Pokéballs off his belt, maximized them, and said, "Umbreon, Zap, return!" Two beams of red light shot out of the Pokéballs and towards the two Pokémon on the ground. Umbreon returned to her ball without a struggle but Zap dodged the beam of light.

"Zap, return!" commanded Gary as he once more pointed the Pokéball at the Jolteon but once more Zap dodged the red light. Gary grew more and more agitated as Zap continued to dodge the red beam of light. "Damn it Zap, just get in the ball!"

"Jolt, Jolteon, Eon! (No, I want to travel on Arcanine with you and the woman!)" demanded Zap as he stood still for a minute, pleading with Gary to let him travel on Arcanine's back. Gary sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win the battle with Zap.

"Fine, you win, Zap. Get on up here," Gary said resignedly as he minimized the Pokéball, placed it back on his belt with Umbreon's, and held out his arms. Zap jumped into them and Gary placed him behind the woman. Gary made sure he held the woman securely, his arms making sure she didn't move an inch, then Gary directed Arcanine with his legs to turn towards the entrance to Diglett Cave, or rather the exit, that would lead to Viridian City.

Gary took a deep breath before saying, "All right, Arcanine, I need you to run as fast as you can to Viridian City Hospital. This woman has been thrust into our lives without warning and it is now up to us to make sure she lives. Go, Arcanine!"

With these words, Arcanine sprang forward and began running at top speed out of the cave and towards her one hope of survival in Viridian City.


	5. Arrival at Viridian Hospital and Revelat

**_A/N: _**All right, since I've recently learned that I'm no longer allowed to answer my reviews, here's my proposition: if u want a personalized answer to a review leave me ur e-mail address in ur review and I'll answer u personally. Enjoy this chap. and review!

**Disclaimer: **Ok, my Pidgeot really did have my certificate, but he once again lost it when a wild Pikachu shocked him for no apparent reason… "sob…"

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 5: Arrival at Viridian Hospital and Revelations**

_**12:00 PM, May 14, 2005; Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Arcanine skidded to a stop in front of the Viridian City Hospital, almost jolting Gary, Zap, and the unconscious woman off his withers and onto the cement circle that circled a fountain in front of the emergency room. Zap jumped off Arcanine, landing on his feet, and then turned to face his trainer. Gary carefully slid off Arcanine, making sure to hold the woman in place until he was on the ground. Gary then carefully lifted the woman off the firedog and, shifting the weight in his arms, reached for Arcanine's Pokéball on his belt and maximized it.

"Arcanine, return!" commanded Gary as the Pokéball shot out a red beam of light and the fire dog growled softly in agreement as he was taken back into the Pokéball.

"At least Arcanine listens… unlike you," Gary smirked a bit at the last part as he looked at Zap, who had the grace to look a tad ashamed. Gary shook his head as he minimized the Pokéball and placed it back on his belt. He once more shifted the woman's position in his arms so she rested as comfortably as possible and then nodded to Zap. The two ran into the hospital amid startled stares, shocked glances, and even some angry glares.

"I need help!" screamed Gary as he ran into the Emergency Room, Zap hot on his heels. People gathered in the room looked up from reading magazines, books, watching the news, or whatever else they were doing to amuse themselves until their turn with the staff arrived.

"Whatever is the problem young man?" asked a fairly young nurse at the end of the room. She didn't bother to glance up at Gary, which made the trainer angry. How could she know what was wrong if she only kept her damn eyes on the computer screen?

"Try looking up once in a while and maybe you'll see the problem," Gary replied, acid present in his voice. The nurse, irritated at having to pull her face off the computer screen to see the problem instead of it being told to her looked at the young man before her.

"I see nothing wrong," she replied to Gary's retort, brushing a strand of dark silver hair out of her mahogany eyes. "Although, if you know something is wrong, tell me and I'll patch you up." The woman batted her eyelashes at what she thought to be the most handsome man she had seen since her boyfriend spilt on her three years prior.

Gary's eyes became dark blue, specks of black appearing in them. Zap began to growl also, but the only ones who noticed were Gary and the people gathered in the waiting room, all of them regarding the scene with interest. After all, it's not every day an incident like this happens, especially with a Jolteon acting almost exactly like its trainer.

"Maybe you didn't notice, miss…" Gary almost snarled as he looked at the woman's nametag pinned onto a tight-fitting white nurse's outfit, "… Tanya, but I'm not the one who needs help. Did you ever considering removing your eyes from my face and looking at my arms?"

Tanya snorted, thinking the man was playing with her, trying to get her to lose interest, as she interpreted from his harsh tone. "Yeah right, like you're not the patient and are just trying to fool me. I ought to call…" Tanya trailed off when she happened to glance down at the man's arms and she caught sight of the badly wounded woman. Her eyes widened when she saw the numerous bandages covering the woman, making her seem to be a replica of a mummy.

"Doctor Collins, get to the Emergency Room now!" commanded Tanya as she quickly pressed the call button for the doctor located on her computer's keyboard as she closed her eyes after she saw some of the white bandages begin to turn red from blood seeping through the gaze-like material. Tanya then bowed, saying, "I'm sorry for my impertinence… you're right, I should look at the incoming patients instead of relying on what I hear and assume. I apologize."

Gary felt the urge to roll his eyes at the nurse's somewhat sincere apology but didn't, knowing that the woman whom he held in his arms; her life depended on him, and him alone…

_**12:25 PM, May 14, 2005; Fifth Floor, Room 567, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

"What's the diagnosis, doc?" Gary asked Doctor Collins as he emerged from the operating room, where the woman's deeper wounds, especially the one that ran from her left ear to the tip of her jaw, had been stitched closed. Gary was waiting on a bench outside of the operation room; the woman's Togetic cradled in his arms.

"Well, young man," replied Doctor Collins as he removed the bloodstained gloves from his hands and disposed of them in the proper trash receptacle as he regarded the young trainer with interest. "If her wounds hadn't been treated when they were they probably would have become infected. She was very lucky you were there, young man. How are you related to her again?"

Gary blinked a moment, trying to think of an answer on the spot, not having expected such a question. "I'm her… her… cousin! Yes, I'm her second cousin three times removed." Zap, who was laying at Gary's feet, looked at him strangely, then shook his head, thinking, 'Jolteon, Jolt (Weird answer… weird situation).'

Doctor Collins looked at Gary strangely, then shook his head and ran his left hand through his salt-and-pepper hair as he thought of how to break the news to the woman's… cousin.

"Although her outer injuries will heal completely, with only a hint of a small scar on her face, there may be mental injuries that we are not aware of at this time. What happened to her seems to be that wild Pokémon attacked her. It may have been a traumatic experience and left some permanent scars. When she wakes up she may need help remembering aspects of her everyday life. What is her name anyway, so that we can put it on file for later on?"

Doctor Collins watched as Gary sweatdropped then quickly and gently put down the Togetic he was holding in his arms on the seat next to him and dug through a dark blue backpack. After a few minutes, with Doctor Collins' black eyes continuing to watch Gary like a hawk, Gary let out a sigh of relief as he pulled out a small black wallet. He opened it and took out what appeared to be a driver's license. Doctor Collins took it and raised an eyebrow at the young man, remarking, "Interesting. You claim to be a relation of hers yet you had to dig out her driver's license to find her name."

"Well, in all the excitement and stress in making sure she was going to be okay I guess I forgot her name," replied Gary as he sheepishly rubbed his head, a small twinge of embarrassment marking his features.

Doctor Collins shook his head in mild amusement then looked at the license. He blinked a few times then said, "Young man, what is your name?"

"I'm Gary Oak. Why?" answered Gary quickly as he glanced over to the sleeping Togetic.

"It's just… well, I didn't know Misty Waterflower and her sisters of Cerulean City had any cousins; that's all. Anyway, give me your cell phone or Pokégear number and I'll give you a ring when she wakes up. In the meantime, you should head over to the Pokémon Center next door and get that Togetic looked at. He seems to be in rough shape." Doctor Collins said as he handed the license back to Gary, who stuffed it back into Misty's wallet and placed it in her backpack.

"Sure, here's my Pokégear number," Gary said as he dug some scrap paper out of his pocket along with a pencil and scribbled down a number. "Call me the moment she wakes up, okay?"

"You got it. Don't worry; your cousin is in good hands, Mister Oak." Doctor Collins smiled as he took the number from Gary's hand and looked at it. He then walked back into the surgery room, pocketing the number and putting on another pair of rubber gloves.

Gary sighed, took Zap's Pokéball and maximized it. "Okay Zap, I need you in your Pokéball so you can get treated at the Pokémon Center. Please, return."

Zap whimpered in protest but this time allowed himself to be absorbed by the red beam of light. Gary minimized the ball and placed it back on his belt. He then slung both backpacks over his shoulders again and gently picked up Togetic. He then walked to the elevator and pressed the first floor button, and while watching the doors close thought, 'Ash is engaged to Misty Waterflower? The tomboy who followed him around for five years to get the money for a new bike because his Pikachu toasted her original one with a Thundershock? The girl who could keep up with my every remark and sarcastic comment, sometimes coming up with better ones than myself? Who would have thought that possible?' Gary shook his head as the elevator continued its descent, still amazed at the identity of the woman now being moved to a private room, paid for at the insistence of Gary himself.


	6. Panic at the Hospital

**Shout-outs:**

**_Maia's Pen- _**Thanx for the review! Loved that you loved the last chap. I am good at writing dark stuff but I'm glad I managed to add some humor to the story! Update ur fic. soon and enjoy this chap.!

**_Reanne1102_****_- _**Welcome to the fic.! Glad u like it! Thanx for the compliment on the plot! Enjoy this chap.!

**_Midnight-mist-87_****_ – _**Thanx for the review! Yes, Misty is the "damsel in distress", as some would say. Update ur fics. soon and enjoy this chap.!

**_A/N: _**Rumors have been flying about whether or not to answer reviews but so far I think it's okay to answer reviews. So, until I learn otherwise I'll keep on answering reviews until I learn otherwise. Enjoy and review!

**Disclaimer: **Ok, my Pidgeot once again has failed me in getting me my certificate but it's not his fault… at least, that's what he tells me…

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 6: Panic at the Hospital**

_**12:00 AM, May 15, 2005; Fifth Floor, Room 567, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

The young woman shot up in her hospital bed, drenched in a cold sweat, her long auburn hair falling over her face. Her eyes were bandaged shut, so everything was black. She began to panic, the vital signs on her monitors going haywire. A nurse named Margaret was on her nightly rounds when she happened to glance into the woman's room and, seeing the monitors going crazy, radioed for help. Margaret ran into the room, dropping her clipboard on a table in the room as she did so, and ran over to the patient and tried to ease her back onto the bed.

After a few unsuccessful minutes, Doctor Collins ran in and at once saw the situation at hand. The woman was struggling against Margaret, who had called in two of her assistant nurses to help her, and Collins knew if he didn't stabilize the woman, and soon, she would end up worse off than she already was. Collins sent one of the nurses to get some morphine and some other medicine, along with sanitized needles. As the nurse ran out to get what Collins needed he took her place and began to try and ease the woman back onto the bed, being a bit more forceful than he would have liked.

Just when Collins was going to yell for more help the nurse he had sent out came running back in, her arms full of the supplies Collins had asked for, along with three other nurses. Collins directed them to where he thought they were needed while he took the supplies from the nurse and carefully placed them on the table near the door where Margaret's clipboard had been thrown. He carefully measured out some morphine to ease the woman's pain, and then some medicine that would help her sleep. He turned around and saw to his relief the woman was now being successfully held down by the six nurses, Margaret holding her down near the shoulders. Collins walked towards the woman and carefully injected the two needles into her right arm, and a few minutes later the woman stopped struggling and fell limp against the pillows.

Collins wiped his forehead with a handkerchief from his pants pocket as Margaret and the other nurses checked the monitors in the room.

"What the hell happened?" demanded Collins as he put his handkerchief back in his pocket and told the same nurse who had gotten the supplies to dispose of all the needles and put the medicine back into its proper place in the storage closet.

Margaret looked up from checking the woman's pulse and responded, "Well, doctor, I was just walking by on my nightly rounds when I glanced in and saw the patient sitting up in bed, appearing to be panicking somewhat and covered in a cold sweat. I rushed in and when I saw her monitors going haywire I knew something was seriously wrong, so I radioed for you and for my two assistant nurses to come and help. Then you know what next happened."

Collins ran a hand through his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair and looked tiredly at the woman, who was now breathing regularly as she slept peacefully. "Margaret, I want you to stay with the patient for the rest of the night. I'll get one of the other nurses to take over your shift. The rest of you; go back to your posts. I have to make a phone call…" Doctor Collins left the room and walked towards the desk that had records for the floor. He took a slip of paper out of his pocket, picked up one of the available phones, and dialed the number, waiting for the receiver to pick up.

_**12:20 AM, May 15, 2005; Room 14, Viridian City Pokémon Center, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Gary was sleeping in one of the numerous rooms available for trainers who needed to stay the night; room #14 to be exact. Umbreon had been let out of her Pokéball and was sleeping at the foot of Gary's bed, the woman's Togetic sleeping peacefully beside Umbreon, some bandages wrapped around his chest.

Umbreon was sleeping peacefully when she heard an incessant buzzing. Her ears moved around, trying to pinpoint the location of the sound, and she slowly opened her eyes, hoping it wasn't a burglar. Her yellow eyes swept around the room and landed on Gary's backpack, which seemed to be vibrating. She leapt off the bed, being careful to not disturb the Togetic. She padded over to the backpack, and sniffing it to make sure there wasn't an explosive device inside opened it with her teeth and looked inside. She saw that Gary's black and blue Pokégear was vibrating, the tune going off softly. She grabbed it by the cord that let it hang around Gary's neck and ran over to where Gary had his head under his pillow, his right hand hanging over the bed.

"Umbreon! (Wake up Gary!)" Umbreon gently placed the Pokégear on the carpet and nudged Gary's hand with her nose. Gary groaned, retracted his hand up onto the bed, and buried his head further under the pillow. "Go 'way," he muttered, trying to stay asleep.

Umbreon growled and, picking up the Pokégear again leapt up on the bed, placed the gear near Gary's ear, still buried under the pillow, and licked Gary's left hand, which was on top of the pillow. When Gary moaned once more and tried to ignore the buzzing Umbreon gently nipped Gary's hand, which caused the desired effect.

"Ow! What in the hell was that for, huh?" Gary yelped, his head shooting out from under the pillow, almost dislodging the Pokégear from the bed, along with Umbreon and Togetic, who was now watching the happenings with curiosity.

Umbreon rolled her eyes and said, "Umbreon, Umbre, Eon, Umbre! (Someone's calling on the Pokégear and I nipped you because you wouldn't wake up anyway!)"

Gary shot a small glare at the moonlight Pokémon and picked up the Pokégear, opened it, switched to the telephone mode, and said, "Hello?"

_"Mister Oak? This is Doctor Collins at the hospital. I think you need to get over here ASAP."_

"What's wrong? Is my cousin okay?" Gary asked worriedly, his eyes landing on Togetic.

_"Well…"_ there was a pause on the other end of the phone, almost as if Collins was thinking of how to phrase his answer. _"We had a scare tonight… you cousin woke up in a cold sweat and struggled against the nurses, causing her monitors to go haywire. We think she would be better if someone she knew was with her 24/7, or for long periods of time. Can you come over now?"_

"Yeah, of course," Gary quickly responded, "I'll be over as soon as I can. Bye." Gary hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, flipping on a lamp at the side table in the process. "Umbreon, Togetic; we're going over to see our 'cousin' now."

Gary got dressed in a black T-shirt, black jeans, a dark green jacket, and his brown boots, throwing his signature yin-yang necklace around his neck. He hung his Pokégear around his neck, slung his Pokébelt around his waist, grabbed his backpack and the woman's, the key to the room, and took Togetic into his arms. He then opened the door, motioning for Umbreon to follow, and ran out of the room, closing the door with his foot, and ran towards the lobby of the Pokémon Center.


	7. The Healing Begins

**Shout-outs:**

**_Me! _**– Welcome to the fic! Thanx for the review, and here's another chap. for u!

**_Midnight-mist-87_**- Don't worry, Gary and Misty'll meet soon, though not in this chap. … enjoy!

**_Maia's Pen- _**Thanx for the review! Glad u liked Gary's description; I figured he'd changed his clothes over the years since he matured. Yes, drama is something I like to do, and here is ur update!

**_Michelicious_****_- _**Welcome to the fic.! Thanx for the review and Maia's Pen is one of my fav. authors! Enjoy this and thanx for readin' my fic.!

**_RoseWaters_******– Welcome to the fic.! Thanx for the review and here's an update for ya!

**_Reanne1102_****_- _**Thanx for the compliment, and updates are slow because of my life and so on. Enjoy!

**_- – _**Welcome to the fic.! Thanx for the review and enjoy this chap.!

**_A/N: _**I own the process that Togetic uses in this chapter unless I am otherwise informed. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **My Pidgeot once again lost my certificate, even with my Fearow along for protection… what's wrong with this scene?

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 7: The Healing Begins**

_**12:35 AM, May 15, 2005; Fifth Floor, Room 567, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Gary came running into the hospital, Umbreon right behind him and the woman's Togetic in his arms once more. Doctor Collins was waiting in front of the woman's room for him.

"Sorry it took me so long," panted Gary as he stopped, gasping for air. Umbreon looked at her trainer, concern present in her eyes.

Doctor Collins sounded amused as he asked, "Dare I ask why it took you so long to get here? The Pokémon Center is just next door."

Gary mustered enough energy to mock-glare at the doctor. "Do you really want to try and get past an irate Nurse Joy, who happened to be patrolling the lobby of the center just when I entered it? It took me seven minutes to convince her that I wasn't leaving to go and rob some store or murder someone. I can't tell you how suspicious Nurse Joy was when her flashlight revealed my dark clothing and Umbreon out of her Pokéball.

"Then, when I finally escaped the Pokémon Center I just happened to run into Officer Jenny, whose Growlithe alerted her to my presence… lucky me, huh? Then, I spent another five minutes convincing her that I wasn't a thief and had to show her my trainer and researcher licenses, along with my Pokégear and Pokédex to prove that I'm legit. Then I ran the rest of the way and here I am."

Doctor Collins chuckled and said, "I see. You must really know how to manipulate women if you were able to get past both Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny in such short periods of time. Me, it takes about twenty minutes- usually more- to get past them."

Gary blushed a bit at the subtle suggestion that he was a player. Okay, true, he had been one in the past, what with his fan club of cheerleaders following him around 24/7. Gary had thought he had had real friends in them; that even if he lost they would stay with him. He was wrong. After he had lost in the top sixteen at Indigo Plateau the cheerleaders had abandoned him for the winner of that tournament, taking his car with them. Gary's ego had shrunk substantially that day, but it had healed when he had found an Eevee on his way back to Pallet Town. Gary had captured it and trained it, learning about real friendship from all his Pokémon then, which had eventually led to his Eevee evolving into an Umbreon.

"Actually," began Gary after a few moments of silence, "I'm not who I used to be. Sure, I used to be a player but that all changed years ago." Gary chuckled before continuing, "Actually, the only player that comes to mind is my friend Brock Slate. All the time that I've known him he swoons over any girl he sees or is attracted to, and let me tell you, that has been an uncountable number. My cousin, well, from what I learned from Brock she always would control his 'moods' around women. His ears will never be the same."

Doctor Collins continued to chuckle. He heard how fondly Gary spoke of his friend and his cousin, along with his Pokémon. 'You know…' he thought to himself as he gestured Gary over to him so he could go in with his cousin and quietly told Margaret to leave for the moment, 'I should introduce him to my daughter Tanya…'

Gary stepped into the room and his breath caught in his throat as he looked at the woman… Misty Waterflower, he corrected in his head. She was hooked up to numerous machines, all of which were keeping track of her heartbeat, brainwaves, etc. Her eyes were covered so everything would be black if she woke up and she had numerous stitches, showing where the deep wounds had been. Her shoulder also seemed to be in a sling, and Gary knew his assumption that it was dislocated was true. She had bandages covering the rest of her body and he could see her torn and bloody clothes in a sanitation bag in a corner of the room.

"My god…" whispered Gary as he took in the sight of his "cousin" and realized that if he had not found her when he did, or rather when Umbreon did, she would still be in the Viridian Forest, wounded, and probably dead.

Gary was just standing in the doorway, afraid of going any closer, when the Togetic in his arms began to struggle and reach for his trainer.

"Togetic, Tog! (Let me go! Now!)" cried Togetic as his arms tried to reach his trainer but found himself being held tightly in the man's arms.

Gary blinked on hearing Togetic's plea for release and let the Pokémon go. Doctor Collins was about to object when he saw Gary nod his head no. When given a questioning look Gary said, "That's her Togetic. I've learned, from my travels, that Togetic are very attached to their trainers. It's almost like… like they, well, like they have a psychic connection. Whenever one is in pain, the other feels it and suffers too. When one is injured the other does the best it can to heal the other or at least alleviate the pain. In this case, since his trainer is the one's who's injured Togetic can feel her pain. So, in order to help his trainer he's going to use Metronome and combine it with both Morning Sun and Moonlight to transfer energy and healing properties to his trainer in the hopes of helping her with the pain and leading to a much quicker recovery than if she were to heal on her own."

When Gary had finished speaking Doctor Collins stared at the young man with disbelief etched on his features. He then turned to the woman and was shocked to see the Togetic hovering over her chest. The Togetic had his eyes closed and was humming what sounded like a chant of some kind. Togetic then began to glow silver and both men watched as the Togetic moved his arms in a particular manner that caused both the sun and the moon to appear in the room. Gary and Doctor Collins had to shield their eyes while Umbreon watched, amazement dominant on her features. Togetic's chant became louder and Gary was able to see him begin to transfer silver light from him, the sun, and the moon to the woman's chest. The silver glow enveloped the woman, causing her to glow, and both watched as the bandages came off the woman, revealing flawless white skin; no hint left that she had, moments before, been in critical condition.

After a minute all of her bandages were off and she looked like new. Finally, the bandages on her eyes were removed and Gary sucked in his breath when he saw that they were still a bit scared; like Togetic had left the scars there on purpose as a remainder to someone… but who?

Togetic finished his ritual and began to slowly lower itself to land next to his trainer and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly, his wounds also seeming to have vanished. Doctor Collins quickly ran back outside and returned a moment later with the woman's clipboard in hand. He ran over to the monitoring equipment and looked at it, and breathed when he saw something he didn't think was medically possible.

"I can't believe this… your cousin's vitals are back to normal. I have never… and I mean **never**… seen any patient heal this quickly from injuries that were that severe. Her heartbeat is normal, her brainwaves are off the chart… it seems that her brainwaves have somehow combined with her Togetic's… but how is that possible?"

Gary shook his head and moved to the woman's bedside, depositing the two backpacks he was carrying onto the small table in the room and taking the chair from that table and placing it at the woman's side. He sat down and Umbreon jumped into her trainer's lap and settled herself comfortably, making sure to keep her ears pricked for any sounds that would alert her to danger. Gary spoke softly after a few minutes, "I don't know how my cousin's brainwaves combined with her Togetic's… my research on this healing method only says that for the most part the injuries will be healed but some traces of the injuries may remain, such as her scars, but nothing I read about said anything about the receiver of the healing method to combine mentally with the Togetic."

Doctor Collins was busy taking notes on the woman's condition and merely nodded and grunted in acceptance of what Gary was telling him. After a few minutes Doctor Collins called Margaret in and told her that the patient's cousin was going to stay with her until she woke up. Margaret eyed the young man in the dark clothes, an Umbreon on his lap, and pursed her lips, about to object but was silenced by Doctor Collins' icy stare. Margaret huffed and went back to her desk to write up a guest pass for Gary. Doctor Collins put a reassuring hand on Gary's shoulder, smiled at him, then left, closing the door behind him. Gary turned his eyes to the woman, who was now breathing regularly as she slept, her loyal Togetic right by her side.

"I have a feeling that this is going to be a long night, Umbreon," murmured Gary as he patted the dark-type, who purred in response. Gary's thoughts wondered once more to a question that had been plaguing him since he had found out the woman's identity… 'If she's engaged to marry Ash then where is he and, more importantly, why was I chosen to find her? What is my role in what is to come?'


	8. Awakening

**Disclaimer: **My Pidgeot again lost my certificate, even with my Fearow and Articuno along to help… why won't it arrive!

**_A/N: _**Since I can't respond to reviews anymore if u have a ques. contact me thru the personal message system on my profile. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 8: Awakening**

_**9:00 AM, May 15, 2005; Fifth Floor, Room 567, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Misty Waterflower moaned and slowly opened her eyes, shutting them quickly when bright lights assaulted them. After a few minutes she opened them once more and they focused on a glaringly white ceiling, not the steel roof she had become adjusted to. She felt cold, like there was something or someone missing…

Misty slowly turned her head to her right and saw a window that looked out on a beautiful city, the architecture blending in nicely with the surrounding environment. She watched the people below her, some playing with their pets and some training with… what were those… things! They looked like monsters from her nightmares!

Misty stared at the creatures, noting what appeared to be a big, golden-colored fox shoot a stream of fire at another creature which flew up high in the air, avoiding the attack. It then hovered right outside her window. It was a giant bird with a plume of red and yellow feathers on its head and black eyes, its giant brown wings keeping it afloat. It then dove at the fire creature, which dodged and shot another stream of fire at the bird.

Misty tore her eyes from the sight, not being able to stand watching the bird get shot down. She then looked to her left and her eyes widened when she saw a man about her age with spiky dark brown hair standing up in all directions, a roughly-hewn face that to some would be considered handsome, a ying-yang necklace hanging on his neck along with what looked like a big cell phone sitting beside her, obviously asleep. Her eyes traveled over his black T-shirt and dark green coat then landed on his lap, where there was a black creature with long ears, blue rings, and bright yellow eyes, which were staring right at her…

"What in the hell is that?" Misty screeched, trying to move further away from the creature, who also panicked. It then jumped off the man's lap and ran towards the room's door. Misty, who didn't notice the other creature on the bed, felt her hand land on something and when she saw it she screamed again and, in trying to get further away from the creatures, ended up falling out of bed. The man, who abruptly woke on hearing the screaming, also ended up falling, except he landed on his head having fallen out of the chair while Misty landed on her back.

"Umbreon, Umbre, Eon! (She woke up! We need Collins now!)" announced Umbreon as she ran over to Gary to see if he was okay. Gary, rubbing his head at the giant welt now appearing, nodded and got to his feet to open the door so Umbreon could run and get Doctor Collins. He walked over to the other side of the bed, muttering darkly about his wake-up call, and froze when he saw the woman on her back in a hospital gown. He began to blush as he noticed the woman's state and although he thought about going to help her didn't on remembering her temper. He soon realized, however, that she needed help getting up and throwing caution to the wind walked over to her and picked her up, bridal style, and placed her on the bed once more.

"Are you okay, Misty?" Gary asked, silently thanking his deity that she hadn't slapped him.

He cut his prayer short when he felt his cheek sting from the slap that was quickly thrown his way. "Who in the hell are you and why do you know my name?" Misty whispered, afraid that she had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom.

Gary blinked and said, while holding his now red cheek, "You don't remember me? I'm your 'cousin' Gary Oak."

Misty blinked, feeling herself forced to trust this man by his mesmerizing dark blue sapphire eyes. She stared into his eyes, looking for any sign that the man was lying but on finding none visibly relaxed. Just when she was about to ask about their connection another woman barged into the room.

"Mr. Oak, what are you doing?" Margaret demanded, seeing her patient on top of the sheets and not under them and Gary's cheek red from what looked like a slap.

"Nothing except helping my cousin, who for some reason fell out of bed and ended up on the floor."

"Oh?" Margaret inquired, an eyebrow shooting up. "And what about your fairly red cheek?"

"Well, um… you see…" began Gary but was interrupted by Misty, who had gotten her voice back while watching the interchange.

"It was my fault. Gary was telling me that he was my cousin and I was… or rather, still am… disoriented, panicked and hit Gary. It wasn't his fault at all." Misty spoke rather softly and Margaret had to strain her ears to hear what the young woman was saying.

Before either Margaret or Gary could respond Doctor Collins, followed by Umbreon, came running in.

"Umbreon signaled that the patient had woken up and…" began Doctor Collins but trailed off when he saw the scene. His first thought was that something had happened between Gary and his cousin, evidence residing on Gary's face. However, when he thought about it for a moment he realized nothing like he had originally been thinking could possibly have happened.

"Hello, Miss Waterflower. My name is Doctor Collins and I have been treating you since you were brought in yesterday afternoon. I must say, in all my years as a doctor practicing medicine I have never seen anyone heal as quickly as you have, and you had very serious and life-threatening injuries. If you wouldn't mind, I need to examine you to find out if you have any side effects from your injuries. Is that okay?" Doctor Collins smiled at Misty and hoped that she would agree to the examination.

After a few moments Misty nodded yes and Margaret ushered Gary and Umbreon towards the door.

"A moment, Mr. Oak," said Doctor Collins as he heard Gary weakly protesting. Gary stopped and turned to look at the doctor.

"I need you to take Miss Waterflower's Togetic and backpack out of the room so I can examine her without the interference of her Pokémon." Doctor Collins then took Togetic off Misty's bed and walked over to Gary, placing the happy-go-lucky Pokémon in the young man's arms. He then motioned for Gary to grab the two backpacks from the table where they'd been placed the night before. "I'll come get you when you can see her. Until then I suggest you grab a cup of coffee in the cafeteria and arrange for someplace to go until she is fully healed and ready to return to her duties as the Cerulean Gym Leader,"

Gary nodded and after grabbing the two backpacks left the room and headed for the cafeteria, watched by a scowling Margaret. The head nurse on the floor had developed a soft spot for the young woman, although she hadn't even been there for a full twenty-four hours. Margaret knew of Gary's reputation as an excellent Pokémon trainer and an up-and-coming Pokémon researcher yet she didn't trust him as much as others did.

Margaret turned and entered the room again, replacing the scowl with a friendly smile, noting that the young woman still seemed to be uneasy. She walked over to the patient and, speaking slowly and gently, asked, "Miss Waterflower, are you all right? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Misty looked up at the nurse and felt comfort radiating from the slightly overweight woman with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. "Yes, yes there is." When she saw the nurse nod to continue she said, "I know my name is Misty Waterflower, I live in Cerulean City, and I am twenty-one years old, but what is a gym leader and what were those two… creatures… that were in here a few moments earlier?"

Misty was so concentrated on trying to remember where she lived in Cerulean City that she didn't see the two medical personal exchange panicked glances, both wondering, 'Dear god, she doesn't remember that she is the water-Pokémon mistress and the gym leader of Cerulean City, that she is related to the Oaks, or even that she is engaged to the current Pokémon master! What do we do?'


	9. Catfight in the Cafeteria Followed by Th

**Disclaimer: **Okay, this is getting ridiculous! I sent my Arcanine out to retrieve my certificate but he returned empty-handed. I'm sick of not getting my certificate!

**_AN: _**Happy Holidays everyone!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 9: Catfight in the Cafeteria Followed by Thinking**

**_12:10 PM, May 15, 2005; Cafeteria, 9th floor, Undisclosed Location_**

"How'd you do on your latest mission?" Butch asked his partner James as the man wearily dropped his tray onto the table in the cafeteria.

****Butch is 26 years old with short teal hair and hazel eyes. He is about five feet seven inches tall and known for his determination in never giving up in battle, even if it appears he's going to lose. He is one of the four trainers that the Master Elder has specifically instructed to go out and bring in new Pokémon and trainers to the organization.

James is also 26 years old, and has shoulder-length violet hair and emerald eyes. He is about five feet seven inches tall and is known for his smooth-talking skills with both Pokémon and humans. He is also one of the most resilient trainers, never giving up unless absolutely necessary. He, like Butch, goes out and recruits new Pokémon and trainers.

Both men, like all of the other male charges, were clothed in black jeans, black muscle tanks, and bright red jackets with a black phoenix rising from the ashes design on the front and back. They also wore black bandannas with red phoenix logos on them to keep the hair out of their faces, black fingerless gloves, and black boots. They both had four Pokéballs on their belts, but unlike other trainers four was the max they could have. Butch and James were the two top recruiting trainers and they did their jobs well.

"What do you think?" James snapped at Butch, a scowl marking his handsome features.

Butch shook his head in sympathy and took a drink of his fruit smoothie. "Know what I think?"

James looked up from where he was listlessly playing with what appeared to be a hot turkey sandwich and french fries smothered in a disgusting combination of gravy and ketchup.

When Butch got no response to his question he shrugged and continued, "I think that the Master Elder spilt us up for the sole reason that we were having more luck with the female recruits than the other two trainers are having."

James's ears perked up at the mention of the female recruits. "What do you mean, exactly?"

"Well, what I mean is…" Butch began but was interrupted when two feminine voices rang through the cafeteria. Various trainers and their significant others looked up from their meals and towards the doorway of the room. A few moments later the voices' owners marched into the room, a loud argument obviously being carried on between them.

"It is not my fault that you slept with that bastard and got yourself pregnant!" screamed a young woman with long fuchsia hair and snapping blue eyes.

The other woman recoiled a moment and screamed back, "Yeah, well, so what? At least I didn't cheat on my boyfriend with his best friend and then ended up losing their kid when she got behind the wheel drunk and crashed the car into her lover's house, killing all three of the people she had left in this world!"

The fuchsia-haired woman recoiled exactly like her companion had done a moment ago and then snapped back at the goldenrod-haired woman with garnet eyes, "You are such a bitch, Cassidy!"

"Same to you, Jessie!"

The two women stared at each other, each wishing she had the ability to shoot daggers out of her eyes and kill her rival, but neither of the wishes came true.

Butch and James blinked at the women and then turned to each other, the food in front of them temporarily forgotten.

"Who's your new partner?" James asked his best friend slowly.

"…Cassidy. Let me guess, Jessie for you?" Butch looked wearily at his friend, sympathy for both their causes shining in his hazel eyes.

James nodded slowly and winced at what he and Butch were thinking at the same time: 'Why in the hell did the Master Elder team us up with such loser partners when we were at the top of our game and getting all the female recruits that were needed for the organization?'

Jessie is about 26 years old with waist-length fuchsia hair and sparkling blue eyes. She is about five feet four inches tall and is known for her short fuse and temper. When Jessie is angered she battles with a ferocity that matches the heat of a volcano and is known for her fierce battle style and quick attacks. However, when her anger overcomes her, which is quite often, she loses every battle she partakes in.

Cassidy is also about 26 years old and like Jessie is about five feet four inches tall. She has waist-length goldenrod-colored hair and garnet eyes. She, like her rival, has a short temper but has a hint more control over it. When it is released no one wants to be in her way. She is also known for her fierce battle style but not so much for her strategy. So, for the most part, a good majority of her plans to get new recruits fail and she is often punished.

Both women wear black jeans, a black tee shirt, and a bright red jacket with the black phoenix on the front and back. Their bandannas are black with a red phoenix on them and both wear black fingerless gloves and black boots. Jessie and Cassidy both have four Pokéballs on their Pokébelts and both have a small obsession with jewelry. Jessie is often seen with a pair of dark green pearl earrings and numerous gold necklaces and bracelets while Cassidy is seen with multiple ruby red post earrings, four in her left ear and five in her right ear, along with numerous silver necklaces and bracelets.

After a few moments in which not a cricket was heard the two women gave up on trying to kill each other with their eyes and went to get their lunch, which was the same for everyone- hot turkey sandwich and french fries. However, if you were a vegetarian there was always the salad bar to serve your tastes.

Both women got their meals and, after glaring at the other people in the cafeteria, who quickly went back to eating their meals, made their way over to the table where Butch and James were currently sitting. Butch and James glanced at each other worriedly, eyes showing panic.

Jessie slammed her tray down next to James's tray and Cassidy did the same, only next to Butch's. Both then sat themselves down next to their new partners and glared across the table at each other. Butch and James looked at each other and simultaneously moved to pick up their trays and sneak away to another table but were caught red-handed.

"James, where in the hell do you think you are going?" snapped Jessie as she tore into a piece of turkey while not taking her eyes off a glaring Cassidy.

"Well…" began James but was interrupted by Cassidy, who had just taken a long drink of her chocolate-strawberry milkshake and slammed the glass back onto the table.

"Yes, my new partner-in-crime, where do you think you are going?" Cassidy snarled, her garnet eyes narrowing dangerously at Jessie across the table.

"You see…" began Butch but was cut off when the Master Elder's voice boomed out over the whole room.

"Jessie, James, Butch, Cassidy; I want to see all of you in my office; now!"

The women stopped their glaring contest and looked up to the ceiling, for once both their faces expressing the same thing- fear. Butch and James merely shrugged, used to being called to their master's office. The two men waited for their partners to get to their feet, all their meals forgotten and cold- that is, except for Cassidy's, which she had ravenously consumed, complete with relish, ketchup, blueberries, and a pickle, almost causing Butch to gag when he saw her empty the remnants of the various packages on her tray into the trash- and dumped their trays into the garbage. They then left the cafeteria and headed down the hallway, passing the training facilities where various trainers were battling one another with their Pokémon.

As James and Butch walked determinedly towards the Master Elder's office the two women didn't dare look at each other. Both were too scared thinking of what was going to happen to them… they knew that the Master Elder did not support constant bickering among his teams, along with unapproved relationships.

Cassidy unconsciously reached down and placed her hand on her still flat stomach. 'I only found out this morning that I'm a month into an unwanted pregnancy, and my bastard of a boyfriend can't even come back to get me. I mean, it was a one-night stand and he gets me pregnant, the bastard! We even used protection, too! I tell my supposed best friend and she laughs her head off at me. Then she says she's going to go and blab to the whole damn compound so of course I had to get back at her. I know she's hurt but she doesn't know that I'm hurt too…'

Jessie's gaze was unfocused as they passed by the see-through doors to the training rooms. 'Why did I laugh at Cassidy's predicament? She's no worse off than me… I mean, I cheated on my boyfriend with his best friend. Then, when my boyfriend broke off our relationship I cracked and drunk myself into high heaven, got behind the wheel of my jeep with my three-year old son Troy and crashed into his father's house, killing him, my boyfriend and Troy's father, and my lover. I can't ever forgive myself for that night… I lost my boy; my little boy…'

When after a few moments Butch and James heard nothing behind them they glanced over their shoulders and saw the two women looking away from each other, silent tears rolling down both their faces. The two men then looked at each other and asked the question plaguing their minds out loud, but softly, at the same time- "What the hell is going on with them?"


	10. Disaster in the Cafeteria

**Disclaimer:** Okay, I'm so close to giving up it's not funny… I sent both my Arcanine and Dragonair out to retrieve my certificate but both of them returned empty-handed. I'm sick of not getting my certificate!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 10: Disaster in the Cafeteria**

_**9:45 AM, May 15, 2005; Viridian City Hospital Cafeteria, First Floor, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Gary sighed as he threw himself in one of the plastic chairs that filled the Viridian City Hospital's cafeteria, his usually bright blue eyes dull and listless. For once, none of his Pokémon were out of their Pokéballs; only Misty's Togetic was, considering Gary didn't know where the happy-go-lucky Pokémon's Pokéball was and didn't feel like getting caught rummaging through the Cerulean Gym Leader's bag looking for said ball.

Gary dug in his backpack and pulled a sheaf of papers and placed them on the table. He then picked up the styrofoam cup of coffee he had just purchased and took a long drink, not caring that the hot drink burned his throat on the way down to where it landed in his stomach roughly, causing him to wince. Gary then placed the cup back down on the table and looked to his right, where Togetic was curled up as comfortably as he was able to, considering the conditions. The two backpacks were also on the chair, positioned so that Togetic wouldn't roll off the chair and hit the hard linoleum floor if he happened to move in his sleep.

Gary's thoughts were just starting to re-gather themselves into some semblance of order from the events earlier that morning when he heard an annoying, high-pitched voice being aimed towards him.

"Hey, aren't you that hottie who ran in here yesterday like hell and brimstone were on your heels?" asked Tanya Collins, her dark silver hair in a long braid and her mahogany eyes gleaming with lust. Gary winced as he saw her eyes; he'd become used to them over the years he'd been researching Pokémon in various regions and towns, which had unfortunately included beaches with plenty of bikini-clad women, all of whom had been looking at him like he was a T-bone steak ready to be snatched up at the first chance. Gary had ignored all of them, well aware that if he wanted a relationship in the future it would be because his significant other would like him for who he was and not for his looks, reputation, and wealth- or what was left of it.

When Gary didn't answer Tanya's face turned a lovely shade of a mixture between magenta and violet. Tanya strode up to Gary's table with a determined stride and dropped her tray onto the table directly across from Gary, causing some of her green tea to spill over onto Gary's research papers, which he had been trying to work on while thinking of his next move, now that it concerned Misty Waterflower.

"Watch where you slam that tray you lazy woman!" Gary all but snarled as he carefully extracted his now sopping-wet papers on the evolution of water Pokémon and whether or not they evolved faster based on the type of water they lived in and its level of pollution. Gary then snatched up some napkins that were to the far left of the table and tried to sponge up whatever tea he could to try and save his research, some of which had been done in the Hoenn Region, which was where he had just returned from, almost completely broke.

Tanya didn't seem to hear a word the man across from her said as she threw herself into another one of the plastic chairs at the table and began to stuff the eggs and sausage in front of her into her mouth at an alarming rate, almost as if her life depended on it.

Gary gave up after a few minutes, realizing that a majority of the black pen he had used to take notes had run, causing the ink that hadn't run to become almost illegible. Gary carefully folded the papers up and placed them in his pocket, hoping against hope that he'd be able to salvage even a small amount of his work when the tea and ink had finished running and ruining months of back breaking work.

"Why the hell did you slam your tray onto the table, causing the subject I've been researching for months to almost completely disintegrate in front of my eyes?" Gary slowly asked, fire raging in his eyes and voice. Tanya once more seemed oblivious to what Gary had asked her as she kept stuffing food into her mouth, stopping every now and then to take a dainty sip of her green tea.

Gary idly wondered while waiting to see if she would respond to his question, 'I wonder if she ever stops to breathe?'

After a few moments Tanya had finished her meal and used her napkin to wipe at her lips, which were, along with her face, miraculously free of any and all food remnants.

"I'm sorry, but did you say something?" Tanya asked sweetly, her sugary voice like nails on a chalkboard to an already pissed Gary.

Gary gritted his teeth in an intense effort to not cuss this… what he wanted to call her paled in comparison to what she really was; there just was no really good word for what she truly was… and forced a grim smile onto his face. "I repeat," Gary spoke slowly, determined that this woman would hear what he had to say and answer him straight out, "Why the hell did you slam your tray onto the table, causing the subject I've been researching for months to almost completely disintegrate in front of my eyes?"

Tanya's eyes looked into Gary's blue ones and they widened in shock at what her mind had just digested… this was the famous researcher Gary Oak! How in the world could she not have realized his identity the previous day, what with his luscious dark chocolate-brown locks and deep sky blue eyes, along with a body that was better than the current Hoenn League Champion… what was his name again… oh yes, Ash Ketchum! Tanya screeched loudly on realizing she was sitting at a table with **the **Gary Oak and she immediately launched herself across the table at the young researcher. This immediately caused Gary to leap out of his chair quickly, and just in time as Tanya had launched herself with such force that she sailed over the table and landed on the recently abandoned chair, causing it to fall to the floor with a crash, her body with it.

People who were also in the cafeteria watched the scene with interest, just waiting for something to reach their ears that would be good food for the daily gossip vines. What they saw, they thought, would definitely make the gossip vines that day, along with the number one entertainment event they'd seen in a month.

Gary heard the other people in the room snickering and laughing at the scene and he bit his tongue in an effort to hold back the laughter that was threatening to escape. Tanya was currently still sprawled out on the floor, her body trapped beneath the surprisingly heavy plastic chair that she had crashed into. Togetic was looking on in amusement, and Gary noted the look of anger and hatred that flashed briefly through the Pokémon's eyes, all of which was pointed at the woman on the floor.

After a few minutes Tanya managed to push the chair off her and got to her feet, albeit a bit unbalanced, considering she had just hit the hard linoleum floor. When she got her balance back she glanced down at herself and shrieked, causing Gary to bite his tongue even harder to keep from laughing. Tanya's once pristine white nurse's uniform was now covered in eggs, grease from the sausage, remnants of Gary's coffee, and some small specks of dirt that hadn't been cleaned up from the floor the night before.

Tanya's mahogany eyes looked at Gary's with fire in them and said venomously, "You shouldn't move when your sweetheart is about to come and give you a big hug, hon."

Gary's face instantly turned serious and he said, no hint of humor in his voice, "Two things, Miss…" Gary looked at the nametag and thought that there was no way the last name was right, "Collins; 1. I am not your sweetheart and 2. I am not, in the least, looking for a significant other at this time and even if I were, you would not be on my list of eligible women."

Gary then turned to where Togetic was still glaring at Tanya and slung the two backpacks over his shoulder, picked up Togetic, and made his way slowly and determinedly over to the cafeteria doors, refusing to stop even when Tanya yelled at the young researcher to "Stop and get your ass back here! I am not done talking with you!"

Gary strode out of the cafeteria, only two thoughts on his mind- 1. Call his grandfather and arrange to go there with Misty when she was released from the hospital and help her get her memory back and 2. Try and find out what happened to her, make her aggressors pay, and punch Ash in the gut multiple times as punishment for not protecting his fiancée from harm. Gary's anger boiled to the surface at his last thought as he got into the elevator, his eyes narrowing into reptilian slits as he pressed the button for Misty's floor.


	11. The Doctor’s News and some Plans

**Disclaimer: **Okay, I'm so close to giving up it's not funny… I sent my Arcanine, Dragonair, and Dragonite to retrieve my certificate but all of them returned empty-handed… I'm sick of not getting my certificate!

**_A/N: _**I warped some of the events that happened in the anime to fit my timeline; just so u know and aren't confused. Enjoy! I also apologize about the late update; I have a really bad workload this semester which equals late updates… but don't fear the updates will get through… eventually…

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 11: The Doctor's News and some Plans**

_**10:25 AM, May 15, 2005; Fifth Floor, Room 567, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Gary emerged from the elevator and was instantly met by the panicked glances of the staff on that floor. Looking around him warily he made his way to Misty's room, trying his best to not hear all the whispered conversations taking place around him.

When Gary entered Misty's room a relieved looking Margaret met him.

"Mr. Oak! Thank god you're back!" Margaret exclaimed as she rushed over to Gary and dragged him over to where Dr. Collins was in a corner of the room, muttering to himself and checking his clipboard of information.

"Mr. Oak's here, Doctor," Margaret said as she abruptly stopped, causing Gary to almost fall over from his not having any sense of balance.

Collins looked up from his clipboard and he, like Margaret, looked relieved that Gary was back in the room. "Mr. Oak, thank god you're here. We have a major problem with your cousin."

"What's wrong! Is she okay?" Gary asked worriedly, his face showing how much he was worried about the Cerulean Gym Leader.

Collins heaved a sigh of exasperation and gently said, "Miss Waterflower knows exactly who she is and where she lives but she remembers nothing that deals with the world of Pokémon. That means that she doesn't remember anything that has happened when around Pokémon, the reason she screamed earlier being that she thought a monster was on her bed." At this statement Togetic, who was in Gary's arms, whimpered and dropped his head, obviously saddened by the news.

Gary stood where he was, shocked into silence. "You mean," he choked out, "she doesn't remember that she's Ash's fiancée or that she's the water-Pokémon mistress?"

Collins nodded his head and replied, "Exactly."

Margaret shook her head and softly said, "A pity. I watched her battle on television during the Whirl Cup Competition just last year where she won the title of water-Pokémon mistress. She had such fire; such passion in her battling. It was easy to see that her skills had really improved from her time there close to seven years ago."

Gary nodded his head; he remembered watching both Whirl Cup Competitions, which were held every six years. Misty had participated in the Whirl Cup in 1998 when in Johto, traveling around with Ash, Brock, and of course Pikachu. Gary had been in the audience and when Misty was battling he remembered feeling like he couldn't take his eyes off her. When she had won he had cheered and when she had lost in the quarterfinals he had felt strangely sad. He had watched all the other trainers battle and most lost and he hadn't felt any sadness at their bad turn of luck; but with Misty he had felt like her losing was an injustice.

Then, when she had competed last year- 2004, that is- he had once more been at the Whirl Cup, but not as an audience member- he had competed, at the urging of his girlfriend Terri, who had wanted to see Gary battle like he used to. In the final round it had been him versus Misty, and amidst the insults thrown back and forth she had just barely managed to win with her Blastoise's use of the move Endure. Gary had been gracious to her, a far different attitude from when he had been in the Kanto Championships, which had surprised Misty so much that she had given him a peck on the cheek in thanks for being a gracious loser; something Terri never knew had happened.

Gary shook his head to get rid of the memories; they were too painful, especially the ones with Terri in them. Both Dr. Collins and Margaret looked at the young man strangely, both thinking, 'What's wrong with him?'

Gary recovered and asked, "What can I do?"

Collins closed his black eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, took a moment to think. He opened his black eyes and stared directly into Gary's dark blue ones. "To be honest, I don't really know. This is the most unusual form of amnesia I have ever seen in all my years as a doctor. However, I still believe that she should be around people she knows; like you, for instance. Can you think of anywhere where she can feel at home? I personally don't think that the gym is the best place at the moment considering her three sisters are away on a trip and she would have to try and run the gym by herself, which is not a good idea in her current condition."

Gary shut his eyes, trying to take in everything that was going on and he opened them to the worried stares of Margaret and Dr. Collins.

"I'll take her to my place in Pallet Town. There, I'll start reacquainting her with Pokémon, her accomplishments, and her life with her Pokémon." Gary deliberately left out telling her about her engagement to Ash Ketchum; if the bastard didn't care enough about his fiancée to stay with her then she didn't deserve to know anything about her; in his mind, at least. Neither Margaret nor Collins noticed his not mentioning the woman's engagement to the current Pokémon master.

Dr. Collins nodded and asked, "That sounds fine. Does you grandfather know about this?"

Gary shook his head and said, "I haven't had a chance to call him yet and ask him to prepare an extra room for Misty. I'll go call him now."

Gary nodded and, placing Togetic on his shoulder, similar to what Ash would do with Pikachu, reached for his Pokégear on his neck and dialed a number so familiar to him and yet so unused; he hadn't called his grandfather or sister May in over four years. Gary felt guilty at this mere fact as he dialed the number but knew he had good reasons; which for the life of him he couldn't think of one at the moment.

After a minute the answering machine came on the line and reported, _"You have reached the Oak Research Laboratory in Pallet Town. Neither Professor Oak nor Tracy Sketchit are here. We are currently attending a conference in Fuchsia City for trainers, gym leaders, and researchers. We should be back by May 15, 2005. Gary, if this is you calling, please call May at the house. Leave a message after the beep. Beep!_

Gary cursed and pressed end on his phone. "He's not there. He's in Fuchsia City at some sort of conference. I'll try my house and see if I get my sister." Gary once more dialed a familiar number and waited impatiently for his sometimes ditzy but always kind and caring sister.

After another minute in which Dr. Collins and Margaret had moved over to Misty's bed to make sure she was comfortable Gary's ears met with another answering machine that reported, _"Hey! You've reached the Oak homestead where there are four people living here- myself, May, of course, my good friend Tracy Sketchit, my grandfather the world-famous Professor Oak, and my wayward bro. Gary! Gary, if this is you, you need to come home now! Something's wrong with the lab and with grandpap and Tracy out of town I have no clue what to do! Leave a message after the catchy tune that's replacing the usually drab dial tone. Bye!_

Gary listened to the strains of "Deck the Hall" and, not pausing to wonder why his sister put a Christmas tune on the answering machine in May cursed once more and pressed the end button on his phone. He turned off his phone and turned to meet the eyes of the two concerned adults in the room.

"No one's home. I'll just crash the place with my key; Gramps won't mind, Tracy won't care, and May will be ecstatic that I'm home- for once. When can Misty be released?"

Dr. Collins instantly replied, "She can be released this evening, if she wants to be, but I'd recommend her staying here until tomorrow morning. I'll give you my number in case something happens and she needs help."

Collins gave Gary his cell phone number and, nodding to the two trainers in the room, left with Margaret behind him.

Gary sighed and looked over to where Misty was sleeping. He smirked a little, saying, "Well Waterflower, or should I say Red, looks like you and me will be getting to know each other more than either of us really want to, huh." Togetic chirped in agreement and both Pokémon and trainer looked out the bedroom window to the Viridian City skyline, thoughts running rampant through both their minds.


	12. A Heart to Heart and a Surprise

**Disclaimer:** Okay... my Pokémon have begged and begged me for a day of rest so today I'll not try and gain ownership… but I will attempt to tomorrow!

**_A/N: _**Umm… while I dodge all the veggies thrown at me I have to say that I am so, so, so sorry that this update is so late. The reasons are that I had musical to get through and that was a real pain in the ass; add on to that exhaustion to the millionth degree and a lot of homework and you have a late update… again I apologize so now enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 12: A Heart-to-Heart and a Surprise**

_**1:25 PM, May 15, 2005; Fifth Floor, Room 567, Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

Misty's sea-blue eyes opened and once more met with the glaringly white ceiling above her. She blinked and after her eyes became adjusted to the fluorescent lights in the room she turned to her right and saw the sun fairly high in the sky, its orange-yellow rays penetrating the thin white fabric of the curtains covering her room's windows. She then turned to her left and saw the same young man from earlier in the day sitting beside her, his dark blue sapphire eyes watching her intensely. Feeling self-conscious about her state of dress she slowly sat up and pulled the sheets closer to her.

Gary smiled a little at her movements and when his eyes met hers he knew something was wrong; after all, when he had looked into her eyes the year before at the Whirl Cup Competition he had seen a spark of competition and happiness telling him that she was doing what she loved. Now, however, that spark was missing and all that seemed to be left was confusion at her current situation.

Misty cocked her head to one side, causing her still bloodstained hair to fall over her left shoulder, which was completely healed, thanks to her Togetic, and asked, "Who are you again?"

Gary's smile widened and he replied, "I'm your cousin, Gary Oak, and I would like to thank you for that 'nifty' wake-up call earlier today."

Misty blushed as she remembered that first she had screamed then hit him across the face, leaving a nice red mark. "Does… does that hurt?" she asked, guilt at her previous actions overtaking her.

Gary looked at her with confusion evident on his face and said, "What?"

Misty looked at him again, this time with a hint of anger present on her features, and said, "I repeat; does the mark I gave you this morning still hurt?"

After understanding her question Gary shrugged and replied, "Kinda, but it's no big deal; I'm sure I've suffered worse. How about you? Are you doing okay?"

Misty looked at him strangely and replied, "Of course I'm fine; why wouldn't I be?"

'Did she forget what Collins told her this morning about the extent of her injuries and why she was in the hospital in the first place?' Gary thought, his mind working furiously to come up with a response for the young woman in front of him.

"Well…" began Gary, "when I found you; that is, when I came to visit you, you were in pretty bad shape. Your left shoulder was at an angle, you had a lot of cuts and were bleeding all over. However, because I got you here quickly, Dr. Collins and his staff were able to heal you so all that's really left to remind you of your previous experience are scars above your eyes and on your eyelids. Actually, I can't give all the credit for your quick recovery to the hospital staff; it's really all thanks to your Togetic that you were healed so quickly." Gary purposely left out some of the more gory details but berated himself for mentioning Misty's Togetic; she had no clue who Togetic was, or who any Pokémon was, for that matter.

Misty's eyes wavered at his words and she took a moment to look at her arms, tracing them with gentle fingers, to Gary's surprise, the exact places where her wounds had been. She then looked up and her eyes met Gary's once more and she felt a sense of peace come over her; something she only remembered having when she was very young, before her father left her and her three sisters and her mother died of a broken heart when she was very young.

After a few minutes with the two young adults looking into each other's eyes Gary broke the moment by tearing his eyes away from Misty's and looking to the wall, where there was a picture of some wildflowers. Misty's eyes continued to stare at Gary and only took notice of her surroundings when she heard something chirping near her.

Misty looked to her shoulder and her eyes widened when she saw what looked like some kind of bird… at least, she thought it was a bird. It was white with small, black eyes and a set of wings protruding from its back instead of its sides. It had two fairly medium-size arms with five fingers on each and two legs, each with five toes. Its body was covered in red and teal colored triangles, which told her they must symbolize something; but what she wasn't sure. Its head was pointed, like a eggshell would look after being cracked in half.

Misty and Togetic stared at each other for what seemed like eons until she screamed. Togetic screamed as well and flew off her shoulder to land on Gary's head, where he cowered in fear. Gary covered his ears to try and block out the sound; to him, who had many Pokémon with high frequency attacks, Misty's screaming sounded like a mixture between two powerful Supersonic and Screech attacks; something Gary was quite sure he had never heard before in his life.

Gary tried to take his hands away from his ears but couldn't as Misty continued screaming and his eyes widened as he heard the cracking of glass. After a few more minutes the screaming finally stopped and Misty collapsed back onto her bed, drained from her outburst. Gary lifted his head, removing his hands from his ears as he did so, and stared in wide-eyed amazement and shock at what he beheld. The window that looked out onto Viridian City was gone, all the glass shards having fallen to the streets below. Togetic flew over to the window, and when he saw what had happened flew back to his perch on Gary's head quickly, whimpering in fear.

Dr. Collins and Margaret ran in the room just then and gaped at the window that was now gone. Margaret immediately rushed over and began to check on Misty's condition, muttering curses as she saw the cracked screens of the equipment monitoring her progress. Collins turned to look at Gary, who was still staring at the window, and asked, "Gary, what the hell happened?"

Gary started and looked to where the voice had issued from, and after blinking a couple of times responded, "Misty and I were talking and when she noticed Togetic on her shoulder she screamed. But unlike a regular human scream hers sounded like a powerful mixture between Supersonic and Screech attacks, and the force of it shattered the window and the monitoring equipment."

Dr. Collins looked from Gary to Misty with a look of utter confusion and when he met Margaret's eyes he met the same expression. "But… but how is this possible?" Collins asked, his clipboard hanging midair, his hand poised to snatch a pen out of his coat pocket and write down anything he felt was important.

Gary shook his head and looked to Misty, who was sleeping peacefully. "Honestly Dr. Collins, I have no idea. Not even an inkling." As Gary continued to watch Misty sleep thoughts ran rampant in his head, one of them foremost in his mind- 'What the hell happened to you Red? I swear, whoever did this to you will pay; they will pay dearly.'


	13. Panic Attacks

**Disclaimer:** I'm back and ready to try my luck again! I'll do this and that first and then I'll do this and that and… wait why I am telling you my plans? Go away and leave me to my plots to regain my certificate…

**_A/N: _**Umm… what can I say? I apologize to the zillionth degree to all my loyal reviewers; I had a really bad couple of weeks between my last update and this one. The reasons are: I had a shit-load of homework to process, along with my Master Paper for AP English 12, and I also had to study for finals and prepare for graduation and you have a long overdue, very late update… again I apologize so now enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 13: Panic Attacks**

_**8:30 PM, May 15, 2005; Cafeteria, 9th floor, Undisclosed Location**_

Brock Slate checked his watch and mentally cursed. 'Damn, he's late… I knew I shouldn't have trusted something this important to someone like Tracey…'

****Brock is 27 years old with short, spiked dark brown hair and black eyes, which were shaped like thin almonds. He is close to six feet tall and although no one sees it often has a big temper; when released it's almost like a mini-gunshot being fired out of a bazooka gun. Brock has a well-known reputation as a "womanizer"; that is, he is known to go after any woman he thinks is single in hopes of wooing them. All of his attempts- thousands of them, that is- have all failed but one- his current girlfriend. Brock is known for his reliability during battle and is also known for his hidden strength.

Tracey Sketchit is 25 years old and has shoulder-length dark green hair with dark brown eyes. He is about five feet seven inches tall and although he does have a temper it is a small one and so he's generally known as a kind person who likes to help others. Tracey is known around the base as one of the best criminal profilers in the base and also sketches trainers' Pokémon as a hobby and a side job- that is, he charges for his drawings. Tracey isn't one of the Master Elder's favorite trainers but he is a master of strategy, so he helps rookie trainers find their niche in battling.

Both men, like all of the other male charges, were clothed in black jeans, black muscle tanks, and bright red jackets with a black phoenix rising from the ashes design on the front and back. They also wore black bandannas with red phoenix logos on them to keep the hair out of their faces, black fingerless gloves, and black boots. They both had eight Pokéballs on their belts, the reason being that since they were well respected in the Master Elder's eyes they got some privileges that others didn't get.

Brock bit back the urge to spit out a string of obscenities dealing with the fact that Tracey was supposed to have met him in the base's cafeteria to help him set the mood for the perfect date and romantic dinner with his girlfriend Duplica. He shook his head as he thought of the number one reason Tracey was probably tied up and not on time- his girlfriend Melody.

Duplica is 24 years old and has mid-back length dark blue hair with a black streak on either side of her back with dark green eyes. She is about five feet six inches tall and like her boyfriend Brock has a rarely seen temper but is generally approachable and friendly. Duplica used to be known for her numerous attempts to try and secure a boyfriend but no one was interested because her harsh battling skills and sometimes-cold eyes turned them off. That is, until she found Brock and they realized that they had a lot in common and complemented each other well. Duplica works as an entertainer by giving performances that include her Pokémon free of charge.

Melody is also 24 years old and has mid-back length dark brown hair with hazel eyes. She is about five feet three inches tall and like her boyfriend Tracey is a generally kind-hearted person and unlike him loves to gossip. Whenever she gets her hands on anything juicy she spreads it like wildfire, unless it is something that might hurt one of her best friends. Melody is a strong battler but usually goes for pure force instead of trying to strategize and win that way. Along with battling she helps provide entertainment for all those living in the base, which includes charging for her services. She makes a good sum of money by doing this, most of which she is forced to pay back to the Master Elder to help provide upkeep for the base itself.

Both women wear black jeans, a black tee shirt, and a bright red jacket with the black phoenix on the front and back. Their bandannas are black with a red phoenix on them and both wear black fingerless gloves and black boots. Both women have six Pokéballs on their waists and both are hoping to earn the privilege of being able to carry all eight of their Pokémon with them instead of only six of them. Duplica wears a small gold heart-shaped locket given to her by Brock on her twenty-first birthday while Melody wears a small silver charm bracelet given to her by Tracey on their one-year anniversary.

Just as Brock was about to give up hope and start on things himself the door to the cafeteria flew open and an out-of-breath Tracey ran in, stopping to try and catch his breath.

When Tracey straightened up and looked at Brock he shrunk a little when he saw the glare Brock was giving him and threw up his hands in apology.

"Brock, listen, it's not my fault," Tracey began to try and redeem himself but before he got any further Brock held up his hand to stop Tracey from going on.

"Listen, tell me later, okay? I really need help setting up everything for tonight; did you get permission from the Master Elder to do this?" Brock asked, his black eyes showing his desperation.

Tracey nodded, than on thinking a little more shook his head no and said, "You mean we had to get the Master Elder's permission to do this! You didn't tell me to go and ask him!"

Brock looked confused and replied, "Yes I did! I told you to go this morning and did you go, no, of course not! Now it's all going to be ruined! All my plans for a romantic night with my girlfriend are ruined thanks to you!" Brock looked ready to kill Tracey and probably would have done so if not for the sound of footsteps entering the cafeteria.

Both Brock and Tracey stopped their combined argument and glaring contest to see who had arrived and Tracey's face went white when he saw his girlfriend march into the room, on a warpath aimed at him.

"Hello, Tracey," Melody sweetly crooned, and if Tracey hadn't already known that his girlfriend was pissed at him would have thought she was happy to see him.

Tracey nervously gulped and his eyes darted around, landing on Brock's, desperately asking for help. Brock merely shook his head and, whistling innocently, strode confidently out of the cafeteria to find his girlfriend and take her to his backup spot- he had had a feeling Tracey might screw up and so had had a backup plan in mind- and do what he had meant to do in the cafeteria. Smirking, Brock thought, 'Well, looks like I won't have to kill Tracey after all; Melody'll do that for me.'

Meanwhile, back in the cafeteria Melody was still glaring at her boyfriend, who looked ready to do anything but kill himself to get away from her.

"Tracey, can we go somewhere… more private to talk?" Melody asked, an angry edge to her voice. Melody's sensitive ears were catching small sounds of tapes rolling, recording everything going on in the cafeteria. The news Melody had to tell Tracey; the news he had been too busy trying to help Brock to pay attention to; she knew he had to hear from her and only her,

"Sure," Tracey unsteadily replied, his voice wavering a bit in its strength of will. With this both young adults walked out of the cafeteria only to run into Duplica, who had been on her way to the cafeteria after receiving a message from her boyfriend a few hours ago.

"What's up guys?" Duplica asked, her dark green eyes darting back and forth between two of her best friends, noticing their tense moods.

Tracey smiled nervously and said, "Hey Duplica, Brock went to go get you from your room. The message he sent earlier; well, I was told to tell you if I saw you that they were the wrong instructions. So, if you would please excuse us, Melody and I need to go. Remember- be in your room so Brock can come and pick you up." Tracey smiled once more before putting an arm around Melody's shoulders and quickly walking, or rather running, towards his room that he shared with Brock.

Duplica watched her friends go with worried eyes; she could tell something was wrong with the usually happy and friendly couple and she was worried if what she was sensing could destroy them.

Duplica shook her head and turned back to return to the room that she shared with Melody, letting a small smile grace her features. She could at least have her night of fun with Brock; then worry about Melody and Tracey in the morning.


	14. Paparazzi and Departure

**Disclaimer:** My plan was to send in my Dugtrio to bury under the lawyers' house and get my certificate… but he failed… why I am doomed!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 14: Paparazzi and Departure**

_**8:30 AM, May 16, 2005; Viridian City Hospital, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

The sunrise was just beginning when Misty had consciously decided to leave the hospital and go home with Gary to Pallet Town where she had been told that she would hopefully recover her memories. She had asked Margaret to get her some new clothes and some shampoo and make-up so she could make herself look decent; after all, she really didn't think she should venture out in public with blood-soaked hair and an extremely pale face without causing rumors to fly.

These were Misty's thoughts as she washed her hair in the small bathroom located in her private hospital room, the shampoo Margaret had brought her next to her and the new clothes behind her on a small vanity. As she reached for the shampoo she paused; her mind began to work furiously as she caught a whiff of the shampoo; it was strawberry-banana. 'Why does that smell get to me? It's not like it means something to me; right?'

Misty shook her head, water droplets flying everywhere, and said, "It's just shampoo; there obviously isn't anything special about it so why was I panicking?" She shook her head again, water flying everywhere, then continued washing her hair, this time not pausing when she reached for the shampoo.

After she'd finished washing her hair Misty let it hang loose, as there was no hair dryer she could use. She then took off her hospital clothes and changed into the clothes Margaret had brought her. When she had finished she looked at herself in the mirror. She was now clothed in dark blue jeans, a black belt, white tennis sneakers, a white tank top, and a dark blue jean jacket. Misty surveyed herself in the mirror and found that she liked what she saw.

"I'll have to thank Margaret for these clothes; they fit me perfectly," Misty said, her green-blue eyes enhanced by the small amount of make-up she'd applied minutes ago. "Time to go home," she said, her eyes clouding over a bit.

Misty exited the bathroom after taking time to clean up the water that had flown off her hair earlier, taking her hospital clothes, shampoo, and dirty towels with her. After she had looked once more at the room she had stayed in for her hospital stay she exited the room cautiously, looking for Margaret, Dr. Collins, or Gary.

Misty's eyes roamed the hall and just when she thought that no one was there she saw Margaret coming towards her with a wheelchair.

"Margaret, thank you so much for everything you've done for me," Misty said, her eyes beginning to tear.

Margaret regarded the young woman she'd become so fond of and replied, "Not a problem at all, dear. Now, you just sit here and we'll take you down to the lobby where your cousin will take you home." Misty nodded and moved to give Margaret the dirty clothes and towels and the shampoo but was surprised when Margaret took everything but the shampoo.

"No, Misty, you keep the shampoo; we always give our patients something free and I suppose that the shampoo counts; something to remember me by." Margaret smiled and Misty felt at ease; at peace.

"Thanks," Misty said as she made herself comfortable in the wheelchair and relaxed as Margaret made a small stop at a waste container and deposited the dirty clothes and towels inside. Margaret then took Misty to the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor of the hospital.

A few minutes later the elevator dinged open and Margaret and Misty exited the elevator only to see a flock of reporters waiting impatiently.

"What's going on?" Misty asked, fear present in her voice.

"I don't know but I sure as hell am going to find out!" Margaret rolled up the sleeves on her nurse's uniform and marched over to the reporters, yelling angrily and demanding that they leave immediately.

"But we can't! We got a tip that the missing Cerulean Gym Leader was in the hospital and was going to get released and we just had to see if it was true!" one of the reporters, obviously the leader of the group, protested, her camera swinging wildly around her neck as her arms moved to mimic her words.

"I don't care what you were told you are not welcome here! Now get out before I call security to escort you out!" Margaret screamed, her voice rising in decibels to emphasize her point. The reporters, obviously having gotten the "red-carpet treatment" before got scared and panicked looks on their faces and ran out of the hospital, papers waving wildly in their wake.

Margaret calmed down and unrolled her sleeves, ignoring the shocked faces staring at her from the numerous potential patients, hospital workers, nurses, and doctors along with one face that looked surprisingly angry; like said person had wanted Misty to get bombarded with reporters…

"Are you all right, Misty?" Margaret gently asked as she moved back to continue wheeling her patient to the lobby doors.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. What did they mean by 'missing Cerulean Gym Leader?' I know I'm from Cerulean City but what's a gym leader?" Misty asked, curiosity and a burning desire to know the truth present in her voice.

"How about we let your cousin explain it to you? I'm sure he will do a much better job than I would be able to," Margaret replied, not letting Misty see the nervous look that took over her features.

When the door opened Misty had to shield her eyes from the sunlight that penetrated her vision, and it was only after a few minutes that she felt it sufficient to remove her hands and let her eyes scan the immediate area. She recognized Dr. Collins and moved to get up out of the wheelchair but was firmly pushed back by Margaret.

"No, Misty, you don't get up yet; not until Dr. Collins and I know where your cousin is and how you'll be getting back to Pallet Town," Margaret firmly said, her voice leaving no room for reasoning. She then pushed Misty towards Dr. Collins, who turned around and smiled when he saw a much healthier looking Misty Waterflower being pushed towards him.

"Ah. Ms. Waterflower. I'm glad to see you looking better. I hope that you are feeling better?" Dr. Collins said, his smile making Misty smile back at him in return.

"Yes I am, and Gary told me yesterday that it's all thanks to you that I got better so quickly," Misty replied, a brilliant smile taking over her features. Dr. Collins looked a bit taken aback; even on television Misty had never smiled like that but now… her smile lit up all her features, causing them to glow with an unseen radiance. If he didn't know better he'd say that she looked happier now that she remembered nothing about the Pokémon world then when she had been fully immersed in it.

"Dr. Collins, where is Ms. Waterflower's cousin?" Margaret asked, her hazel eyes scanning the road leading up to the hospital for any sign of the young researcher.

"Oh don't worry Margaret; I spoke to Mr. Oak a few minutes ago just before all those reporters came running out of the hospital," Dr. Collins replied, his black eyes alighting on a form seen running toward the three people standing in front of the hospital.

"That's Gary, right?" Misty asked excitedly, her eyes lighting up with hope and the desire to be right. She turned her head to repeat the question but before she spoke her request again Dr. Collins nodded yes and Misty's eyes returned to the approaching figure, which was now made out to indeed be Gary Oak.

After a few minutes Gary came into view and beside him flew Togetic, whose eyes shone with happiness when he saw his trainer looking so well but then dimmed with sadness when he remembered what had happened the day before. Also by Gary's side ran Umbreon and Zap, both of whom had refused to stay inside their Pokéballs and Gary had just given up on trying to get them to go back inside and stay inside after an hour of fighting.

Gary slid to a stop, causing dust to rise up and obscure him for a moment and consequently giving himself a coughing fit.

"Mr. Oak; punctual as usual, I see," Dr. Collins remarked amusedly, his eyes twinkling in remembrance of what had previously occurred when Gary was late.

"Yeah, my clock didn't go off and then I had to spend an hour trying to convince Umbreon and Zap," Gary motioned with his head to the two Eevee evolutions sitting at his feet, both of whom didn't appear abashed in the least, "to get into their Pokéballs and then I finally had to give up." Gary was dressed in dark green khakis, a black tank top, his dark green coat, brown boots, his yin-yang necklace, Pokégear slung around his neck, Pokébelt circling his waist, two backpacks on his back, and a sheepish smile on his face.

"Mr. Oak," Gary's head swiveled in Margaret's direction since she was speaking, "how are you going to get your cousin home?" Margaret eyes narrowed when Gary paused to answer; she still didn't trust this young man with the patient she had come to be very fond of.

Gary sweat-dropped on hearing Margaret's question and paused, gathering his thoughts before he answered. He looked to Togetic, who wasn't paying attention to him at the moment, his mind plotting what to do in the future. Gary then turned his attention to Umbreon and Zap, both of whom were looking back and forth from Gary to Misty to each other and trying their best to not burst out laughing at what was going on. They both could sense that Gary was totally and completely infatuated with the young woman whom he claimed to be his "cousin" but who wasn't really and therefore had no clue what to do next.

Gary gave up trying to get encouragement and help from his Pokémon and looked back to Dr. Collins and Margaret, both of whom weren't looking too pleased at Gary's lack of preparation. He sighed then reached onto his belt and pulled out a Pokéball and threw it in the air. His trusty Arcanine appeared in a burst of white light, looking around warily for his enemy. When he spotted the woman whom he had carried to safety just days before looking like nothing was ever wrong with her he began to walk over towards her but was stopped when Umbreon and Zap ran in front of him.

"Arc, Canine! (What are you two doing!)" Arcanine growled, his ears going flat against his head.

"Umbre, Eon, Umbreon! (This woman is scared to death of Pokémon and her name is Misty Waterflower!)" Umbreon replied, her normally smooth black fur appearing to bristle a bit.

"Canine, Canine, Arc? (Afraid? How is that possible?)" Arcanine asked warily, his ears returning to their normal position, his dark purple eyes scanning the people around him and alighting on Misty, who was staring at the large fire dog with fear and a small hint of curiosity.

"Jolt, Jolt, Eon, Jolteon! (How should I know? Just be careful around her and listen to everything Gary tells you to do!)" Zap yelled back, his body crackling with electricity.

Before Arcanine could respond all three Pokémon covered their ears when they heard Margaret begin to yell at their trainer. "Mr. Oak! How dare you think that I will let my patient ride that Pokémon back to Pallet Town when she is obviously scared to death of them!" Margaret's hazel eyes burned with ferocity and utter disbelief.

"Um…" Gary tried to respond to her outburst when an orange blur sped past him to where the three Pokémon were gathered, trying to get their ears back to normal, and enveloped Arcanine in a bear hug.

"He is so cute!" Misty exclaimed, not noticing how the four Pokémon (Togetic included), Gary, Margaret, and Dr. Collins were staring at the scene before them, jaws hanging wide open.

"Canine… (Help me…)" Arcanine whimpered, his purple eyes turning to plead with Gary, who snapped out of his daze and moved forward to intercept Misty.

"Uh, Misty?" When Misty didn't reply Gary put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him, their eyes meeting and the Pokémon, who were watching the goings-on were shocked to see what appeared to be sparks flying between the two people but no one else noticed. "Are you okay?" Gary asked, his eyes probing Misty's.

"Yeah… why?" Misty asked, her eyes asking the same thing.

"It's just that yesterday when you saw Togetic on your shoulder you screamed so loudly that you broke glass. Just now, however, you ran over to Arcanine," Gary motioned with his head to the fire dog, who had slowly backed away from the woman, "and he looks just as strange as Togetic does. Why?"

"Maybe it's because your… Arcanine?… looks like a dog and that other creature from yesterday doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before." Misty replied, her eyes averted away from Gary's mesmerizing ones.

Margaret and Dr. Collins stepped forward then and interrupted the conversation. "Gary," Dr. Collins spoke, causing Gary to let go of Misty, who instantly ran over to Margaret who enveloped her in a hug, "I think taking Misty home on Arcanine might be a good idea because she seems to like him and since any Pokémon she likes is a good sign it might jumpstart some of her memories." Gary nodded but before he replied Margaret interrupted with a high pitched screech.

"You can't possibly be serious, Doctor!" she screeched, Misty protected inside her embrace.

Collins turned to face his nurse and evenly replied, "I am dead serious, Margaret. I am her doctor and whatever I believe is best for Ms. Waterflower will and shall happen." Margaret, after hearing the tone of Collins' voice reluctantly nodded in acquiescence and pushed Misty out of her embrace towards Gary. Gary, meanwhile, had convinced both Umbreon and Jolteon to go back into their Pokéballs (bribing was always a winning tactic…) and had motioned a still reluctant Arcanine over to him.

"Ready to go, Misty?" Gary asked, his voice sounding warm and rich; reassuring Misty that she could trust him. She nodded yes and, taking Gary's hand was helped up onto Arcanine, who stood completely still to let her get adjusted to the feel of having him underneath her. Gary then shook Collins' hand, followed by Margaret's, who warned him sternly that she had given Misty her number and if he hurt her in any way he would get a personal visit from Margaret herself and took Misty's shampoo and put it into her backpack. Gary nodded and promised to take care of Misty as if his life depended on it then leapt up on Arcanine in front of Misty, Togetic landing on Arcanine's head and making himself comfortable.

Gary and Misty then said good-bye to Dr. Collins and Margaret then Gary told Arcanine to set a course for Pallet Town. Arcanine took off running and Misty, scared as she was by the sudden increase in speed wrapped her arms around Gary's waist tightly, hanging on for dear life. As Arcanine and company set off a pair of eyes watched from a third floor window, planning for events yet to come…


	15. Surprises on the Way to Pallet

**Disclaimer:** Plan B—send in my air team of Pidgeot, Fearow, Noctowl, and Swellow to get my certificate failed… now what?! Plan Delta?!?!

**_A/N: _**Umm… what can I say? I apologize to the zillionth degree to all my loyal reviewers! I have just been so overwhelmed with the first semester of my Freshman year at college that I neglected this story… I could never find time to write or upload… However, I am going to do my best to try and keep up with this because I really don't want to keep all of you guys, who are awesome by the way for sticking with me and not writing me off… You all deserve a reward for putting up with me… Anyway, here's chapter 15 of this story; enjoy this long overdue, very late update… again I apologize!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 15: Surprises on the Way to Pallet**

_**11:30 AM, May 16, 2005; Outskirts of Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Gary, Misty, Togetic, and Arcanine had been traveling for about three hours and were almost to Pallet Town.

"Misty, you doing okay?" Gary yelled back over his shoulder, knowing that he couldn't take his attention off the road in front of him, it being an absolute mess from the torrential downpour that had happened just the night before.

Misty didn't answer; she was too focused on trying to keep her balance on the large beast beneath her.

Gary, on hearing no answer, took that as his cue to stop Arcanine and give his buddy a break; after all, the fire dog had been running nonstop for three hours and was quickly running out of steam. When Arcanine had skidded to a stop Misty opened her eyes and couldn't believe what she saw—the world was moving like it was on a wheel—and as she blinked the world seemed to be spinning even more.

Gary swiftly dismounted and turned to help Misty down but was shocked when he saw her completely frozen from on top of Arcanine. Gary stared at the sight in a mix of amusement and fear; Misty's eyes were wide open and were staring straight ahead, her body completely rigid. Gary shook his head and called up to her.

"Hey Red, you okay?" Gary asked, his mouth turning up in a successful smirk as he saw her startle in surprise at being addressed as such.

"What did you call me?" Misty asked, her eye beginning to twitch.

"Red, of course," Gary answered, his smirk widening when he saw Misty's once small eye twitch widening to include both eyes, her face gaining an angry appearance.

Misty and Gary stayed that way for a minute or two- she was on Arcanine, staring angrily down at her "cousin" and he was standing on the ground looking up at her with an amused expression on his face clearly saying, "Come on and get me if you dare."

In fact that is exactly what Misty did. Her vision suddenly cleared up and she took that as her chance to strike. She leapt off of Arcanine and onto Gary, pinning him to the ground. She glared down at him from her position and became even more irritated when all Gary did was to continue smirking at her from beneath her.

It took a minute but Misty finally realized where she was and she blushed scarlet red and quickly got off Gary, moving a few feet away with her back turned to him. Gary slowly got up and after brushing most of the mud and dried dirt off himself made to move toward her but stopped when he saw something crawling toward the young woman.

"Um… Misty, might I recommend that you don't move?" Gary nervously asked, his sapphire eyes having spotted what appeared to be three small bug Pokémon moving toward Misty and knowing of her aversion to the bug type was trying his best to not alert her to their presence.

Misty, not having heard a word Gary said turned around and when Gary saw her eyes widen he moaned and slapped a hand over his face, preparing himself to hear an ear-piercing shriek and numerous demands to get rid of the bugs before she did. However what he heard caused him to look up in utter surprise- Misty was down on her knees, squealing with happiness, and, smiling happily, was _playing_ with the baby Caterpie, Weedle, and Wurmple that had wandered over to her in hopes of getting something to eat.

Gary glanced back to his Arcanine, who was currently lying down in the grass on the side of the road, his head on his front paws, his eyes watching Gary and saying, "What do you want me to do about it? She is your "cousin" after all." Arcanine's gaze remained unwavering even when Gary glared at him. Gary's gaze then switched to Misty's Togetic, who was sitting on Arcanine's head, obviously asleep.

Gary sighed in defeat and trudged over to Misty, who had Caterpie in her lap and was petting him while the female Weedle and Wurmple were on her shoulders, nuzzling her hair, which Gary noticed was hanging loose around her shoulders. Misty seemed to not notice the state of the road, particularly the mud, which now clung to her jeans. "Misty are you okay?"

Misty looked up from petting the Caterpie and replied, "Of course I am; why do you ask?" Misty's eyes continued probing Gary's, searching for an answer in their depths and Gary felt it. He raised an eyebrow and knelt beside her, reaching out a hand to pet Caterpie.

"It's just that before you were in the hospital you absolutely hated bug Pokémon and when anyone of them got near you would scream at the top of your lungs and demand that the bugs be gotten rid of. I'm just really surprised that you, um, like them; that's all." Gary explained this to Misty with a straight face, his eyes moving from hers to look at the three bug Pokémon that surrounded her.

"I hated bugs? But how? I mean these three are so cute!" Misty exclaimed, hugging Caterpie and then reaching up to pet Weedle and Wurmple, who were still perched on her shoulder. Misty's eyes shone with happiness and Gary winced; how was he going to tell her that the three small Pokémon that she seemed to have fallen in love with so quickly probably had angry parents who were looking for their babies?

Misty didn't seem to notice the flicker of uncertainty that passed across Gary's face and continued to play with the small bug Pokémon, who were nuzzling her continually, glad to be the center of attention, having forgotten about wanting to get something to eat.

Gary sighed and decided to send his Swablu to look for the nests of the three small Pokémon and find their parents before they found Gary and Misty. He stood up, walked a few feet away so Misty wouldn't hear what he told his Pokémon to do, and took Swablu's Pokéball off his belt and threw it in the air, watching as his small friend appeared in a burst of white light.

"Swablu? (What's wrong?)" Swablu asked, her eyes looking around warily. Gary explained his plan and Swablu nodded in agreement, taking off to scan the area nearby. Gary just shook his head and walked back over to his 'cousin', who had not taken notice of what was going on around her.

Misty looked up at Gary as he knelt beside her and she asked, "Gary, can we take them with us?" She used her favorite method of persuasion: puppy eyes. Gary stared at Misty's blue-green eyes and groaned, trying to wrench his head away but failing to do so until a few minutes later when he averted his head and focused on his Arcanine, who was smirking at him from his position on the side of the road.

"Please?" Misty tried again, joined by a chorus of agreements from her three young bug Pokémon charges, all of them wishing to stay with their newfound friend. Gary closed his eyes in an effort to steady his resolve and was about to answer no when Swablu flew back from her scouting mission, her pink eyes appearing serious and filled with tears.

"What's wrong buddy?" Gary asked, afraid for his Swablu; in all the time he had had her she had never been sad; her never-ending optimism a beacon for him in the months following Terri's death.

"Swablu, Swab, Lu, Swab, Swablu, (I found the three couples… they're dead, with large slashes and burns and blood spattered all over the trees. They have no one left but us,)" Swablu piped softly, her eyes letting fall the tears that had been kept inside for the last couple of minutes. Gary groaned softly; he couldn't stand the thought of anymore death… not after Terri and all her Pokémon except for Zap had been brutally murdered before his eyes while he had been forced to watch, not allowed to close his eyes.

"Thanks for telling me…well Misty looks like you get your wish," Gary whispered, his voice too hoarse with emotion to sound loud and he looked over at the woman next to him, who looked stricken with fear and depression. "Misty… are you okay?"

Misty turned hollow-looking eyes to Gary and said, "No, I'm not alright… I just heard that the parents of these three sweet Pokémon are dead, killed by evil people who are out to take and kill Pokémon for money… I don't know what to do or say…" Misty broke off and began to cry, her tears splashing onto the heads of the three Pokémon on her lap, who were also crying, their soft, mournful sobs inaudible to anyone who wasn't listening closely.

Gary sighed and after returning Swablu to her ball put his arm around Misty and gave her a one-armed hug, his nose picking up the scent of the strawberry-banana shampoo that she had used that morning. Gary's senses began to cloud a bit but he quickly cleared his mind of any random thoughts. 'What am I doing? There is no way in hell I could have any feelings for Misty beyond companionship; after all, she is Ash's fiancée and since we buried the hatchet of rivalry long ago I can't start up the feud again by doing something as irresponsible as falling in…'

Gary's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Arcanine growl loudly at something that was behind Gary and Misty. Gary quickly took his arm off Misty's shoulder and got to his feet, spinning around to land in a fighting stance, ready to protect Misty and the three small bug Pokémon who were cowering in fear behind him. Arcanine came up beside Gary, his fur bristling with anger and Togetic was hovering over Misty, his black eyes sparking with anger at the group who was slowly advancing.

Gary's sapphire eyes widened in disbelief when he saw who was coming towards him and he slowly lowered his stance, still keeping his guard up but his face betraying the surprise at what he was seeing: Brendan and Ritchie were walking towards him, their usual clothes gone and replaced by uniforms that sent shivers down his spine. Both men had on the uniforms of the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters, the group who had killed Terri Shaw months ago and made Gary's life a living hell.

"Hello, Oak," Brendan spat, his blue eyes as hard as ice. Ritchie, who was beside him, had the same expression in his normally placid brown eyes and finished what Brendan had been about to say, which was, "Miss us?"


	16. Pokémon Battle

**Disclaimer:** Plan Gamma—Send in my team of Arcanine, Ninetales, Blaziken, and Houndoom to retrieve my certificate. Wait… I've lost contact with Arcanine… now what?!?!? What happened to my beloved Pokémon?!?!?!

_**A/N: **_I really need to stop letting you guys think I'm dead, because I'm not. I know I promised to update more, but due to all of the hours I've been putting in at my job and working on my other stories, I haven't had time to upload this chapter, which has been sitting on my flash drive for months. I am such a fool, and I really appreciate that you guys have the patience to stick with me and not give up. Enjoy, and I apologize for the lateness of this chapter.

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 16: Pokémon Battle**

_**12:05 PM, May 16, 2005; Outskirts of Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

"Brendan, Ritchie, what the hell do you guys think you're doing?!" Gary whispered; his mind racing with the fact that two of his best friends had seemingly turned evil and were now banking on taking him out and doing something to Misty.

Brendan sneered and replied, "Think Oak; we're about to take you out and take back our prisoner. So prepare to battle!" Brendan smirked and, reaching behind him, pulled out two Pokéballs that Gary saw were not the customary red and white but were black on the top and red on the bottom. Gary shivered; he recognized the ball from the group that had taken his girlfriend Terri months ago. The balls were called Nightmare Balls, an appropriate name because they were a rival trainer's worst nightmare – the ball increased any and all aspects of the Pokémon, especially strength, that the ball contained every time that the Pokémon was released into a battle.

"Go Swampert and Graveler!" Brendan yelled, the two balls opening in a flash of black light with jagged streaks of red throughout it. When the light show had died down, allowing Gary and Misty to remove their hands from in front of their eyes, they saw two larger than normal Pokémon – one a Swampert and the other a Graveler. However, while the Graveler had the normal colors Gary knew Graveler to be, the Swampert wasn't a normal colored Pokémon. Instead of the typical blue fur, he had a black fur coat, along with dark blue fins and eyes. Both Pokémon were three times the size of their regular counterparts, and Gary felt a chill run down his spine as he remembered how easily all of Terri's Pokémon had been taken out – except for Zap, who had feigned death to live – by the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters' Pokémon Scizor and Scyther. What still scared Gary to death to this day was the fact that all of Terri's Pokémon had been bred and trained by Terri herself, a proclaimed master breeder and trainer, and yet they had been taken down in less than ten minutes.

"Ready to go, Oak?" Brendan snarled, flashing his white teeth at Gary, taunting him to bring out his Pokémon so he could throw him into the forest lining either side of the road, which would allow him to recapture Misty and redeem himself in the eyes of the Master Elder. Gary shook his head to rid himself of the guilt he still felt for not saving Terri from the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters and, growling, reached for Arcanine's Pokéball, intending to recall him due to a major type disadvantage, but was surprised when Arcanine nodded his head no.

"Arc, Canine, Arcan, Nine," (No, Gary, don't recall me. I need to fight this idiot; think of it as my portion of revenge against this group for Terri's death,) Arcanine growled, making sure that only Gary could hear him, despite a curious Misty doing her best to listen in on the conversation. Gary stared at his partner, debating about whether or not to allow qArcanine to battle, and on looking into the firedog's purple eyes, nodded his head in acquiescence. Gary then shifted his hand from Arcanine's Pokéball to another one, making sure it was the one he wanted. His sapphire eyes alight with fire, Gary plucked the ball and threw it in front of him, and in a bright flash of white light his trusted Blastoise appeared, roaring at the sight of a former friend clothed in the garb of the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters. Looking back at Gary for reassurance that he was indeed supposed to battle the Pokémon in front of him, Blastoise moved into position beside Arcanine, who was warily watching his opponents for any sudden attacks.

"Ready… go!" Brendan yelled, throwing his hand forward, and almost as if his Pokémon could hear him telepathically they launched simultaneous attacks at Gary's team: Swampert launched a powerful Hydro Pump that was tinted black and red, hoping to take out Arcanine quickly, and Graveler sent an Earthquake with a magnitude of nine at Blastoise.

"Blastoise, block that Hydro Pump and Arcanine, do what you do best!" Gary yelled, punching a fist in the air ahead of him for emphasis, and as he did so both of his Pokémon obeyed his commands. Blastoise, moving with a speed that for a large turtle Pokémon of his size should have been impossible, moved in front of Arcanine and, using the mega cannons hidden in his shell, launched his own attack, a combination of Hydro Pump and Bubblebeam, at both enemy Pokémon, Blastoise sending one cannon's contents at Swampert and one at Graveler while splitting the Bubblebeam into two streams, one for each opponent. Gary smirked as Blastoise's divide-and-conquer strategy was a complete and utter success, and giving himself a pat on the back for teaching Blastoise to do this. As the turtle Pokémon's attacks hit their targets, Graveler was knocked out instantly, which ended the Earthquake attack just before it reached Blastoise and Arcanine, and while Brendan cursed a colorful stream of words that would have made a sailor blush, Blastoise's other attack hit Swampert, causing the water and ground-type Pokémon to stagger back a few steps, cuts and bruises appearing on his head and one of his fins singed from the force of the water turtle's attack.

When the streams of water and the small amount of smoke from the collision ended, Brendan exclaimed, "Shit! Where the hell did your damn Arcanine go, Oak?!" Brendan had recalled Graveler, not sparing his Pokémon a second thought to check over his injuries, and was currently turning his head all around the battlefield, looking for any sign of the unusually colored firedog.

Gary smirked and yelled, "Arcanine, move now!" With these words the ground beneath Brendan and Swampert began to shift and move, and before either could move back into a relatively safe zone Arcanine, in all his glory, shot up from beneath them, launching what should have been an impossible combination of Headbutt and Dig attacks at Swampert, knocking him out cold, and getting Brendan involved by swatting him with his front paw and spraying dirt and mud into his face. Brendan, cursing, stepped back a few steps, desperately trying to clear the filth out of his eyes so he could see what was happening. However, because he couldn't see what was behind him, he tripped over an upturned root and landed on his butt in a large mud puddle. Once he'd cleaned out his eyes, he stared in shock as he saw his most powerful Pokémon breathing heavily on the ground, a proud Arcanine and Blastoise regarding him with wariness, watching for his next move, and a smirking Gary behind them.

"Damn it, Oak!" Brendan snarled, taking out Swampert's Nightmare Ball and, recalling the water and ground-type behemoth got to his feet, wincing as he felt a pain shoot up his back from the rough landing. "How dare you embarrass Ritchie and me like this!"

Gary, still smirking, folded his arms over his chest and asked, "What do you mean, 'Ritchie and me'? I don't see Ritchie anywhere near you, Brendan Birch; did he abandon you to run back to your puny Master Elder and rat you out?"

"Actually, Oak," came a chilling voice from behind Gary, causing the arrogant trainer and professor to spin around, "I'm right here." Gary's sapphire eyes widened in fear as he saw Ritchie Lagner holding Misty tightly, one arm wrapped around her waist and one around her neck and shoulders. Gary froze; the position Misty was in was the exact same as what Terri had been in just before she had been killed.

"What, not going to come and save this worthless wench?" Ritchie demanded, a cold smile stretched across his face, his grip on the young woman tightening with every minute that ticked past. Ritchie failed to notice the three small bug Pokémon sneaking up behind him, all of them preparing to attack the man who had dared to take their new trainer prisoner.

Just as Ritchie opened his mouth to make another remark to Gary that would devastate him and ensure Brendan and himself ultimate victory, he was hit from behind by a combination Headbutt attack from the three small Pokémon that forced him to let go of the deathlike grip he had on Misty to turn around and face his attackers. This allowed Misty to stumble away, her hands around her neck, trying to relieve the pressure that had been put on her throat and lungs from Ritchie's hold. She stumbled forward and fell, but before she could even move an inch she saw Gary's large turtle Pokémon – Blastoise, she remembered Gary calling him – move to shield her from all sides so that she could recover her breath. Gary, meanwhile, just watched in shock as Caterpie, Wurmple, and Weedle faced off against a pissed-off Ritchie.

"What the fuck do you think you pipsqueak insects are doing?! I think I'll have to teach you respect for those who are a hell of a lot more powerful than you!" Ritchie was about to reach behind him and pull out a Nightmareball when he heard Brendan yelling at him to watch out behind him. Ritchie turned around just in time to see an angry and quickly approaching Arcanine running full speed at him.

"Shit!" Ritchie yelped, diving out of the way just in time, as Arcanine skidded to a stop at the exact spot where Ritchie had been standing just a moment before. Ritchie looked over at Brendan, who was by now doing his best to get the mud and dirt off his uniform, face, and out of his usually pristine white hair, and then surveyed the battlefield, where Arcanine, Blastoise, and the three small bug Pokémon were watching him, anger burning in all their eyes and contempt for the two men who were watching them.

Ritchie growled and said, "Brendan, retreat! We'll get them later!" Ritchie reached behind him and, pulling out a Nightmare Ball threw it in the air to reveal a male Charizard that had silver eyes and talons, black wings with silver lining, and the rest of him was the regular color scheme of a Charizard, eyes steadily watching his trainer for orders. "Zippo, descend!" Ritchie yelled up to the dragon, who carefully floated down to the ground, lowering himself so that Ritchie could climb aboard.

"Brendan, get on now!" Ritchie snarled, and on seeing Brendan hesitating, obviously feeling like he had to finish the battle he had started, lost his temper. Ritchie jumped off Zippo, marched over to the white-haired young man, grabbed his arm, dragged him over to the dragon, and forced him to get on, climbing on after him. Ritchie then kicked Zippo in the side, ignoring the small grunt of pain the dragon emitted, and before commanding his ride to take off, locked eyes with a still shell frozen Gary.

"Don't think this is over, Oak!" Ritchie spat, his cold and angry side taking over his usually calm and logical personality, "We'll be back; and next time we won't lose!" With these words Ritchie commanded Zippo to fly off, and the fire dragon did as he was told, but not before shooting a small apologetic glance at the young woman who was huddling in pain and fear underneath Blastoise.


	17. Reactions to the Battle

**Disclaimer:** Plan Delta: After having gotten back my team of Arcanine, Ninetales, Blaziken, and Houndoom from the guards of the lawyer's office, I've resolved to send in Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres together to tear down the building so I can get my certificate…

_**A/N: **_After some thinking I decided to give last names to some of my characters so I can better enhance their personalities. I did some research and was unable to find some of the characters' last names so I decided to create some. However, if you do know their real last names tell me and I'll change them. Here are the characters who now have last names: Ritchie Lagner, Casey Signit, Duplica Thetra, Melody Glace, May Maple (I think this one is right…), Drew Hatchet, Cassidy Getty, Jessie Victor, Butch Samuels, and James Owens. I only own the last names but not the first ones… Now enjoy this chapter!

_**A/N:**_ Hi there… I'm not dead, that's the good news. So, before you all kill me let me explain my long, unexpected absence. College is a pain in the ass, and with so much work, I had almost no time left to write or even update. So, in the hopes that you all don't murder me and leave my corpse somewhere to rot, here's the long-awaited chapter 17. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 17: Reactions to the Battle**

_**12:50 PM, May 16, 2005; Outskirts of Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

After Ritchie and Brendan had taken off, presumptively to lick their wounds and prepare to come back and get what they had failed to finagle from Gary, the five Pokémon felt the need to protect the woman who had almost been hurt in the battle. So, in order to check on her condition they had wandered over to where a frightened Misty Waterflower lay, huddling under the massive Blastoise, doing her best to burn the images of what had just happened out of her mind.

"Blast, Toise, Blast?" (Are you alright, Misty?), Blastoise asked, his dark green eyes full of concern for the woman whom, as he had learned from Umbreon and Zap, his trainer had a major crush on; whatever a crush was.

Misty lifted her head from out underneath her hands when she heard the giant turtle speak to her, and, somehow understanding him, responded, "I'm… I'm fine, I think, except for maybe one or two bruises and some major emotional distress." She shook her head and didn't catch the look that was exchanged between the five Pokémon.

"Arcan, Canine, Nine?" (How can she understand us when she's not our trainer?) Arcanine asked, his purple eyes proposing the question to all of the Pokémon around him, including Togetic, who had hidden in a tree nearby during the battle, knowing that he wasn't yet strong enough to fight in a full-fledged Pokémon battle but had now returned to his perch on Arcanine's head.

"Tog, Toge, Tic, Togetic," (I'll explain how to all of you later; after we get to Pallet and are somewhere safe,) Togetic chirped in reply, his tone sounding melancholy and upset, almost as if Misty's new ability to understand any and all Pokémon was of concern to him.

Arcanine and the other curious Pokémon nodded their heads in agreement, ready to get Misty and Gary back to the Pokémon Laboratory in Pallet Town. While the Pokémon had been discussing Misty's new ability she had gotten off the ground and, after having taken as much mud off her clothes as she could, had wandered over to Gary, who was still frozen solid, not moving.

"Cuz, are you okay?" Misty asked, her soft, melodious voice breaking through Gary's barrier. Gary twitched and turned worried sapphire orbs to his charge, and on seeing her safe and uninjured enveloped her in a bear hug, not caring if tears began to fall out of his eyes.

"I'm so glad you're okay…" Gary whispered, letting his emotions and fears getting the better of his normally calm and logical personality. He had been worried that he had failed in protecting Misty and in letting that fear take over had near about given himself a heart attack.

Misty hugged him back, not really understanding the intensity of the hug. Sure, they were cousins, and of course he would be worried about her but the intensity of his grip worried her. She squirmed, and after getting Gary to release her stepped back a little bit. "What was with the intensity of the hug, Gary?" she asked, her voice betraying her worry.

"Umm… I guess I let my emotions get the better of me," Gary replied sheepishly, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck, which was quickly turning a bright shade of red. They stood that way, Misty staring at Gary with a look that said she didn't quite believe him and Gary looking like an embarrassed thirteen year old who had just received his first kiss. Both were interrupted from their stances by the arrival of the three small bug Pokémon, who instantly crawled up Misty's dark jeans, still coated with some mud, and perched themselves upon her shoulders and head, with Caterpie and Weedle on her shoulders and Wurmple on her head respectively. Arcanine, Togetic, and Blastoise came over to Gary, who absentmindedly began to pet them, not really noticing his actions.

"Arc, Canine, Canine, Arcanine," (Gary, we need to get going and get to Pallet Town in case Brendan and Ritchie return with reinforcements.) Arcanine advised, his deep tone betraying his nervousness at being out in the middle of nowhere and still a good distance from Pallet Town. This statement caused Gary to snap out of his reverie, and agreeing with Arcanine's advice, took out his PokéNav, which had been attached to his belt and activated it, bringing up the map option so he could see how far away from Pallet Town they were.

As Gary did this Misty watched in avid curiosity, the gears in her mind working furiously to try to come up with a name for the device that Gary was using and after a few minutes, she timidly broached the subject. "Gary, what are you doing?"

Gary looked up, surprised at Misty's question, and after a minute said, "This is a PokéNav, a small electrical device that can be hooked to someone's belt or backpack for easy access. It has a map, a small list of all the Pokémon trainers its owner has faced, the number of ribbons a trainer has won in a Pokémon Contest, along with the condition of every Pokémon said trainer owns, and the number of badges a trainer has won from the various Pokémon Gyms spread across the various regions."

As Gary finished his explanation he saw Misty nodding her head at random intervals, trying to give the appearance that she understood everything Gary was saying, but Gary could see the uncertainty that shone in her eyes, signifying that she had no clue what he was talking about. He sighed and added, "Listen Misty, I'll show you how to work a PokéNav when we get to Pallet Town, where we'll be safe from Brendan, Ritchie, and others like him, all right?"

Misty nodded in agreement and opened her mouth to ask another question but Gary interrupted her when he exclaimed, "Got it! We're only about five miles from Pallet Town; we'll be able to reach the Laboratory in about twenty minutes; excellent." Gary then shut off his PokéNav and reattached it to his belt. He then brought out Blastoise's Pokéball and, after recalling the large water turtle, turned to Misty and asked, "Misty, do you really want to keep the three bug Pokémon currently perched on your upper torso?"

Misty started at the question and without hesitation nodded her head vehemently, forgetting that Wurmple was perched there. The small purple bug Pokémon fell but before she hit the ground Misty's hands shot out and she caught her. Her green-blue eyes quickly checked over the caterpillar-like Pokémon and on not finding anything wrong carefully perched Wurmple back onto her head, making sure that the Pokémon had a firm grip.

Gary watched the scene and found himself impressed once more by how Misty's reflexes seemed to be getting more and more Pokémon-like with every passing day. 'First it was the scream, then understanding all Pokémon – even those who aren't hers – and now the button-quick reaction time... what's up with her?'

Gary's thoughts were interrupted when Arcanine nudged him in the back, urging him to get a move on and get to Pallet Town and the safety of the Oak Pokémon Laboratory as quickly as was possible. Gary turned to look at Misty and said, "Misty, it's time we got going; we need to get to Pallet Town as quickly as possible."

Misty replied, "'Kay, let's get going but first I have a question." On getting a nod from Gary she continued, "Do you have anymore of those ball-like devices that would allow me to carry my three new friends with me safely?"

Gary started; how did she already figure out what Pokéballs were for – even if she didn't know the exact name – if she was supposed to not remember anything about the Pokémon world? After a few moments, with Misty glaring at him, waiting for a response, he replied, "Yeah; I have exactly three. I'll get them out and capture your three friends for you now." Gary took his backpack off his back and, after digging inside for a few moments, brought out three miniaturized Pokéballs. He maximized them and tossed one at each of the three Pokémon, satisfied when the balls instantly stopped wriggling on the ground, signaling the three small bugs' willingness to go with Misty. He then slung his backpack onto his back once more and, after retrieving the three Pokémon off the ground walked over to Misty, this time making sure to not stare into her mesmerizing eyes.

"Okay, Misty, these are Pokéballs and they are used to contain a trainer's Pokémon as they travel, making sure that the Pokémon inside are totally comfortable. Your three new friends are in these three balls right now and are most likely making themselves feel at home. Here, they're yours." Gary handed over the balls and as Misty reached for them, their fingers brushed; both started on feeling the electricity run through both of them at the small amount of contact.

"Than… Thanks," Misty stuttered, for some reason gaining a small amount of red in her cheeks. Gary just stared, not sure what to do. Gary's Arcanine suddenly interrupted the self-induced reveries by loudly growling, reminding Gary and Misty that they had to get to Pallet Town.

"Right," Gary said, and after getting an affirmative nod from Misty, helped her up onto Arcanine. He then leaped on and after making sure Misty had her three new Pokémon clasped tightly in one hand while the other was around his waist securely Gary signaled Arcanine to take off. The firedog leapt off, making sure that Togetic was safely on his head, and coming up with a plan for the two humans on his back in the near future…


	18. Arriving in Pallet Town

**Disclaimer:** Plan Epsilon: My team of three legendary bird Pokémon came back severely burned and worn out… so if they're using fire as a weapon then I'll have to use the archenemy of fire… water. So, I'll send in these water Pokémon to get my certificate…

_**A/N: **_Hi there! Well, I know that this chapter is probably really late in coming, but I like to look at this as an accomplishment. I mean, at least I only took three months to get this out instead of the customary six months that the last three or so chapters told to be added. Anyway, enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 18: Arriving in Pallet Town**

_**1:10 PM, May 16, 2005; Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Twenty minutes later found Arcanine and his passengers gazing at the panoramic view of Pallet Town from atop a hill that marked the boundary between the sleepy town and the wilderness that eventually ended with the entrance to Viridian City.

"Here we are, Misty: Pallet Town," Gary told Misty, gently petting Arcanine on the neck as a reward for his quickness in getting them from Viridian City to Pallet Town, along with battling Brendan's Pokémon and still having energy to spare.

"Wow…" was all Misty could muster as she stared in awe at the tranquility that seemed to coat the town. Said tranquility stretched from the cottage-like houses arranged in a grid pattern to the giant windmill on the hill just across from them.

"What's that?" Misty asked, shifting so Gary could see where she was pointing.

"That? Oh, that's the windmill that generates wind power for Professor Oak's Laboratory. It's where all trainers who start out from Pallet Town or Viridian City can store their excess Pokémon," Gary explained, not bothering to wonder how Misty knew to point out the windmill first. He would have figured that her eyes would have been drawn to the small shopping center located just miles away from their position, closer to them than the windmill. After all, from past experience with his sister that was the first symbol of Pallet Town that was noticed.

"Oh," Misty breathed, apparently satisfied with the answer. She then began to look around the town, looking for something else to talk about but then something hit her.

"Gary, we're cousins, right?" Misty asked, causing Gary to turn around to look at her, confusion plastered on his face. When Gary nodded Misty continued, "Well, then wouldn't Professor Oak be _our _grandfather?"

Gary blinked; how in the hell had she figured out that Professor Oak was his grandfather? He had thought that maybe she would think that Professor Oak was his uncle or something along those lines, but certainly not his grandfather. After all, since she had forgotten all about the Pokémon world she would have also forgotten about his relation to the Pokémon Professor, much less his age; he wasn't exactly a young man anymore…

"Gary?" Misty questioned, her eyes beginning to narrow when she saw her cousin staring at her. Why was he taking so long to answer so many of her questions?!

Gary shook his head and replied, "Yeah, he's our grandfather; sorry, I just figured that… um… never mind. Let's just head to the Laboratory where some soft beds and good food are waiting for us." Gary flashed Misty a quick smile and, turning to face forward, ignored Arcanine's deep growl, signaling that he was thoroughly amused at Gary's antics, and began to leisurely lope through Pallet Town. They passed some people who stared, all of them wondering why Professor Oak's grandson was back in Pallet Town when he was supposed to be in Hoenn studying water Pokémon and more importantly why he had a very attractive looking young woman behind him, her arms clenched tightly around his waist and who looked afraid to be on the swiftly moving Arcanine.

Rumors started flying about the town after the Arcanine and his passengers had passed through, the most prevalent of them that young Oak had gone back to his player-days and had gotten a woman pregnant and was now set on introducing her to his grandfather. If Gary had known about this rumor he would have stopped it immediately but he didn't know and as such the rumors continued to fly.

_**1:20 PM, May 16, 2005; Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

A few minutes later, they arrived at the winding sidewalk that led to the Laboratory; however, something else drew Misty's attention after they had dismounted.

"Gary, what's that mansion doing next to grandfather's lab?" Misty innocently asked, causing Gary to shake his head in amusement. Gary then looked at the mansion from Misty's perspective and he had to admit that if he didn't know that Professor Oak's son and daughter-in-law were filthy rich and had bought the mansion in all its glory then he would've thought it strange and fairly bizarre to see a mansion next to a laboratory as well.

"That, my dear Misty is our house," Gary said, slinging an arm over Misty's shoulder, making sure to stay far enough away from her hair so that he didn't catch the scent of her shampoo again. 'That shampoo of hers is a hazard to all those around her…' Gary absently thought.

Misty's eyes grew wide as if she had just been told that she had won the lottery and a new car all at once. "That's… that's our house?!" she exclaimed, shocked beyond belief that she lived in a mansion. "How in the world could I not know that I live in a mansion!?!"

"Well," Gary started, but stopped when he remembered Dr. Collins' advice on not bringing up the truth of the origin of Misty's amnesia. "I mean, it's part of your memory lapse; it's something that occurs normally among most amnesiac victims." Gary silently let out his breath as he saw Misty nod her head, accepting all that she had been told to be true without question

After a few minutes, Arcanine, impatient that Misty and Gary were staring at the large house, nudged his nose against Gary's back, startling the young man. Gary turned around to deliver a glare to his companion but stopped when he saw the exhaustion present in Arcanine's eyes.

"You're right, buddy; I have got to give you a rest," Gary murmured, reaching up to scratch the firedog behind his left ear, grinning when he heard a low growl of contentment. However, he was surprised when Misty came up behind Gary and, handing him the three Pokéballs she had only acquired about thirty minutes previously enveloped Arcanine in a hug, surprising both Pokémon and trainer.

"Thank you for protecting me and for saving my life," Misty whispered, stroking Arcanine's fur gently, somehow knowing to scratch behind his left ear; most likely from watching Gary do it. Arcanine, after getting over his shock at being hugged by the strange woman that his trainer liked (again) nudged his nose affectionately against Misty's torso, causing her to look up and grin.

"Thanks again, Arcanine," Misty added, petting him one more time before stepping back and looking to Gary. Gary, who had been watching the interaction with great interest, started at being stared at, and after giving back Misty's Pokéballs, took all of the gear off Arcanine's back. Arcanine shook himself, glad to be rid of the burdens, and then looked pleadingly at his trainer, hoping to get recalled into his ball for a well-deserved rest. Gary, seemingly reading the firedog's thoughts, maximized Arcanine's Pokéball and recalled him in a bright beam of red light. He then turned to Misty, who had been watching the process with eager and curious eyes, wanting to make sure she knew exactly what to do in the future.

"You ready to meet your other cousin?" Gary asked, startling Misty out of her thoughts. At the word "cousin" Misty's eyes widened in shock.

"I have another cousin?! Why didn't you tell me beforehand so I could prepare?!" she exclaimed, her eyes burning with the desire to wring Gary's neck for not telling her about his sibling and her other cousin.

"Guess I forgot…" Gary mumbled apologetically, getting a scathing look from the auburn-haired woman.

"You sure do seem to forget a lot of things," she muttered softly; however, Gary still heard her words, and he hung his head in shame and humility.

"Sorry…" he mumbled, and, after a few minutes when he didn't hear anything, chanced to look up and saw an angry Misty glaring at him.

"Sorry isn't good enough Gary! You need to stop forgetting things and tell me what's going on and who people are so I can get back my memory!" Misty exclaimed as she scolded Gary, Togetic nodding in agreement from behind her head. Gary shot a small glare at Togetic, who merely giggled in response.

They were this way for a few moments, Gary looking apologetic and Misty scolding him when they both heard a shout from the top of the walkway that led to the laboratory. Both looked up to see a young woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair and bright sea-blue eyes running towards them, a maddening grin set on her face. Gary straightened up and turned to Misty, who was staring at the woman running towards them.

"Misty… meet your other cousin; May Oak," Gary said, serious doubts about bringing Misty to his home where his sister – who didn't appear completely sane at the moment – lived racing through his mind.


	19. Orders

Disclaimer: Plan F: My team of water Pokémon: Blastoise, Swampert, Golduck, Feraligator, and Pelipper, with Pelipper providing aerial reconnaissance have been sent to retrieve my certificate… all I have to do now is wait for the message saying I've been

**Disclaimer:** Plan F: My team of water Pokémon: Blastoise, Swampert, Golduck, Feraligator, and Pelipper, with Pelipper providing aerial reconnaissance have been sent to retrieve my certificate… all I have to do now is wait for the message saying I've been successful…

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 19: Orders**

_**1:45 PM, May 16, 2005; Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Misty just stared at the young woman running towards her and Gary; how in the hell could Gary forget to mention to her that he had a sister and she another cousin?! When the woman stopped in front of them Misty felt her sea-blue eyes scan her over, obviously wondering who she was and why she was with Gary.

"Gary, who is this girl?" the woman asked Gary, suspicion lacing her words. Gary rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, knowing that he had to get May to play along with him or all was lost. Misty would probably call Margaret back in Viridian City and he would get a tongue-lashing worthy of his sister and grandfather put together and multiplied by fifty, along with possibly being charged with kidnapping.

"Come on, May; tell me that you remember our cousin?" Gary asked, his back to Misty leaving him free to glare at his sister, willing her to believe him.

May looked puzzled; she knew that she and Gary didn't have any cousins, since their parents were both only children; the only family she and Gary had known was their grandfather and their parents. "Gary…" she began but stopped when she saw Gary's eyes begin to plead with her to play along. May vainly tried to avoid her brother's eyes; he had found that if he pleaded with his sister using his eyes he could get her to do anything he wanted. Now, just like in the past, Gary's eyes did the trick, with May letting out a sigh and glaring back at Gary, who was now grinning smugly.

May looked behind Gary, and on getting a good look at her, recognized that she was the Cerulean Gym Leader, who had been missing for close to five months. What was her name… oh yeah, Misty Waterflower. Putting on her best smile she exclaimed, "Of course I remember our cousin! It's not like I forget everything like you, dear brother." May ran forward and gave Misty a hug, hoping that she seemed sincere. Misty gradually relaxed into the hug, pleased to realize that her cousin did remember her.

After a moment, May broke the hug and, turning to Gary, said, "Gary, why didn't you tell me that you and Misty were coming to visit? I would have cooked something… especially for Misty; you look like you haven't eaten anything in days!" Gary merely smiled at his cousin, thinking that she had no clue how close she was to the truth with the comment that Misty looked like she was starving, considering how badly malnourished she had looked when Gary had found her.

May then slung an arm over Misty's shoulders, moving to guide her up the long pathway towards the mansion. She called over her shoulder, "Gary! Get a move on; you need to help me cook lunch!" May then turned her attention back to Misty, striking up a conversation with the auburn-haired woman. Gary grinned, glad that May was playing along with his plan, and after picking up the two backpacks that were on the ground, followed the two women, Togetic taking his now customary perch on Gary's head.

_**2:00 PM, May 16, 2005; Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

While the trio entered the mansion and talked, two sets of eyes watched the action from their perch in a nearby tree. Actually, scratch that; there were three pairs of eyes, one pair belonging to a Raticate and the other two to a woman and man clothed in the gear of the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters.

"Are we almost done?" the woman whined, causing her companion to glare at her, his hazel eyes alight with fire.

"No, Cassidy, we're not almost done," Butch seethed, sick and tired of having to deal with an irate partner and a smart aleck Pokémon. He thought back to when the Master Elder had called him, Cassidy, Jessie, and James to his office the day before…

FLASHBACK

_**12:30 PM, May 15, 2005; Office of Master Elder, Undisclosed Location**_

As the four young adults entered the Master Elder's office they went down onto their right knees, heads down out of respect for the man in front of them.

"Ah, yes. Butch, James; stand," murmured the Master Elder, his dark emerald eyes glittering in the darkness that enveloped his corner. Butch and James slowly rose to their feet, having learned that if they rose too quickly they would get punished; the same with rising too slowly. Once standing, they brought their heads up to look at the Master Elder, awaiting his next words.

"Butch and James: you two specialize in recruiting young women and their Pokémon for this cause, am I right?" the Master Elder asked, and when he got a curt nod from both men continued, "Good… very good. Although I must say that I am highly impressed with the amount of skill you possess I feel it necessary to spilt you up and assign you different partners." He watched them for any sign of disagreement, and was not displeased when Butch raised his hand, silently asking permission to speak.

On getting confirmation, Butch said, "Master Elder, I would like to know why you feel it necessary to spilt James and I up and assign us different partners. We have always been partners and it is because of us that you have so many new female recruits and their Pokémon to serve the glorious cause. So, if I may, why are you splitting us up?" Butch turned his hazel eyes to face the Master Elder, and on seeing his emerald eyes immediately lowered his gaze to look at the steel desk that the Master Elder sat behind.

The Master Elder sighed and replied, "The reason is, my dear boy, that these two fools," he motioned with a flick of his head at Cassidy and Jessie, who were still on the floor, kneeling out of respect and fear for the Master Elder, "need help in getting their act together. They fight just like a pair of Raticate who are concerned with staking their claim as the best. In my organization, such rowdiness and unnecessary violence is not tolerated. Under normal circumstances, I would immediately throw them into The Hole, but because I am feeling generous, I have decided to see if they do any better with different partners. Is that understood?" The Master Elder turned his gaze to Butch and James, who instantly nodded yes, signaling that they completely understood the Master Elder's wishes.

"Jessie, Cassidy; rise," the Master Elder commanded, his voice holding on room for argument. The two women rose, albeit a tad shakily, to their feet, keeping their eyes facing the ground. "Cassidy, step forward," the Master Elder said, watching with satisfaction as one of the most beautiful of his charges stepped forward, keeping her gaze pinned to the ground as he had taught her years ago. "You will be partnered with Butch; understood?"

Cassidy brought her garnet eyes up from the ground and, looking into the Master Elder's emerald ones, replied, "Of course, sir." She then moved to stand beside Butch, keeping her eyes pinned to the floor, not daring to look up at her partner.

"Jessie, step forward," the Master Elder commanded, watching with a hint of dissatisfaction as Jessie took longer than required to step forward and bow her head. "You will be paired with James, understood?"

Jessie brought her blue eyes to meet the Master Elder's gaze and, not trusting herself to speak, nodded in acquiescence. She then moved to stand beside James and, like Cassidy, didn't trust herself to look at him.

The Master Elder watched this, pleased that the women remained in their subservient positions; just like they had been taught. He then reached underneath the desk, and, pressing a small hidden button, watched as the wall to his left began to open, fog spewing out.

"If I may direct your attention to the far left wall," the Master Elder said, pleased when the four charges did as he said, "I present to you an asset to each of your teams." The wall opened to reveal a table that had on it two Nightmare balls, except on one of them was the picture of a coin and on the other the picture of a fang.

"Butch, Cassidy; the ball with the fang is yours, and the one with the coin goes to you, James and Jessie." The Master Elder watched as Butch and James moved away from the women, walking towards the balls, and, reaching out, took their designated ball. They then moved back to their original positions.

The Master Elder waited a moment before saying, "Very well; James, you and Jessie will stay here on base and train while Butch and Cassidy will go on a special assignment. Understood?" The four young adults in front of him nodded and, bowing from the waist down, exited his office to follow their assignments.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Cassidy opened her mouth to retort but abruptly closed it when she remembered their assignment: track down Gary Oak, reclaim Misty Waterflower, and seriously maim the young Pokémon professor. She sighed and drew her legs underneath her, shifting her position to try and find a more comfortable seat. Her actions drew the attention of Butch, who had once more pulled himself away from his spying on the Oak homestead to watch his partner.

'Damn, I never noticed before but Cassidy is beautiful… wait, what the hell am I doing?! I can't afford to get involved with her; she's my partner!' Butch thought, his hazel eyes roaming appreciatively over Cassidy's body, ending with her goldenrod hair, which was currently in a braid that she wore over her shoulder in an attempt to keep stray strands out of her eyes.

However, both Butch and Cassidy were startled when they heard Raticate state, "Well, it seems dat sparks fly from you two and from our prey." Butch almost dropped his binoculars and Cassidy nearly fell out of the tree on hearing what Raticate said to them.

"What?" the Raticate asked, choosing to ignore her new trainers while picking at a knot in the dark brown fur that covered her body. When she didn't get an answer, Raticate looked up and remarked, "What, didn't I tell you? I can talk like you guys; dat a problem?"

She looked up, her white eyes boring into her two trainers', and on getting a nod signaling that her speech wasn't a problem from each, snorted, "Good; now, the Master Elder told me dat you have to listen to me, which means dat I am in charge. First, and foremost, we watch dis house and wait for the chance to strike, got it?" Butch and Cassidy nodded, and, following Raticate's orders, both began watching the door to the mansion, waiting for the prime opportunity to strike.


	20. Talking with May Oak

**Disclaimer:** No! I just received a telegram from my team that said they're being held prisoner… if you'll excuse me I have to go and bail them out…

_**A/N: **_– Double-checks calendar – What a surprise! It's been less than a month, and I have an update for you! How awesome is that? I know that I happen to very… irregular with updates, but I really am trying to make it up to you guys. I really appreciate everyone who's stuck with me, so I dedicate this chapter to each and every one of you. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 20: Talking with May Oak**

_**2:45 PM, May 16, 2005; Kitchen, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

"That was awesome; can you teach me how to cook like that?" Misty asked licking her lips to savor the last tastes of the stir-fry and rice lunch that May had whipped up for them, with Gary helping her.

May grinned and replied, "No prob, cousin. I'll show you how to do it for dinner tonight, with a few changes so that we aren't eating the same thing two times in one day. In the meantime, Gary, will you be a dear and clear the table so that Misty and I can talk and catch up?" Gary forced a smile onto his face and nodded, watching with envious eyes as Misty eagerly followed May into the living room to talk. He then looked down at the dishes on the table, and then his eyes traveled over to the stack of pots and pans resting in the sink, and, grimacing, knew he had a hell of a task in front of him.

"Of course sis'd leave me with the dishes… seems she hasn't changed at all," Gary muttered, not at all pleased at the prospect of having to do the dishes. He got up from the table and, gathering all of the dirty dishes took them to the sink, letting them fall into the water that May had conveniently let run just before they had eaten and winced when he heard May yell at him to be careful with the dishes.

"Figures she'd use the good stuff instead of the usual ordinary china…" Gary muttered and sighing in disgust looked to where Togetic and Misty's three new Pokémon were happily eating their lunch in front of the patio door. Almost as if Togetic knew that Gary was watching him the Pokémon looked up at him and, chirping happily flew up and perched himself on Gary's shoulder, making sure he was comfortable.

Frowning, Gary said, "Why are you on me, Togetic?"

"Toge, Tic, Togetic, (I'm here to help, of course,)" Togetic replied, grinning when Gary shot him a glare.

"Whatever…" Gary muttered as he took up a rag and began to clean the dishes, ignoring Togetic's attempt to annoy him and take him completely off task.

_**2:54 PM, May 15, 2005; Living Room, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

"So, Misty, what's up?" May asked as she threw herself onto the black leather couch that took up space underneath a spacious bay window in the living room. She motioned Misty over, who had been standing in the doorway of the living room, looking unsure as to whether or not she should enter.

"Don't be shy, Mist," May chirped, patting the space next to her and shooting Misty an encouraging smile.

"Well, um, I guess you could say that I'm interested in learning about my family again," Misty commented, shooting May a small grin as she moved over and sat down on the couch, seemingly afraid that it would rear up and bite her.

May cocked her head to the side and said, "What do you mean, Mist?"

Misty looked down at her hands and, after a minute, looked up at May and asked, "Didn't Gary tell you?" On getting a negative response, she sighed and continued, "Well, from what I've been learning, Gary found me a few days ago badly hurt, and rescued me, taking me to the hospital where a Dr. Collins managed to heal all my injuries. Then, just this morning I was allowed to leave the hospital, and Gary brought me here; he said we were cousins… and I guess that means we're cousins also, right?"

May merely stared at Misty as she listened to the words coming out of the gym leader's mouth, and she could hardly take it all in. 'My god… what I'm hearing is that Misty is suffering from amnesia, and the aftereffects of being seriously injured and possibly having a concussion… and Gary's outright lied to her, telling her that he's her cousin when he's not… what do I do?!'

"May, are you okay?" Misty asked, her eyes showing her worry. May blinked and seemed to regain her personality when she turned to Misty and began to laugh, causing Misty's expression to switch from worried to positively confused.

"Gotcha!" May said as she continued to laugh. "Made you believe something was wrong, didn't I?" Misty nodded her head yes, which just caused May to laugh even more, causing a small grin to break out on Misty's face, and before long both were holding onto each other to try and stop the other from laughing.

Soon they stopped their laughing, and May was just about to reassure Misty that everything was fine and that they were indeed cousins when both heard a crash resound from the kitchen and Gary loudly curse.

Turning to each other May said, "Something's wrong; come on." May jumped off the couch and took off for the kitchen, Misty hot on her trail, the latter hoping that her Pokémon were safe and sound.

_**3:10 PM, May 16, 2005; Kitchen, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Meanwhile, Gary had just finished the dishes and was drying his hands, with Togetic still perched on his shoulder, when he had heard a crash sound from outside the patio. Gary had dropped the rag, and run towards the patio door, making sure he didn't step on Misty's three bug Pokémon in the process.

When Gary got to the door, he pulled it open, and when he saw what was going on outside yelled, "Shit! What the hell is going on?!" In the paddock where Gary knew Ash's herd of Tauros lived, he could see a large dust cloud heading his way, which he instantly categorized as a stampede of the herd running directly towards the house, but he couldn't see the source of the loud sound he had heard.

Gary cursed again and, grabbing his Pokébelt took off out the door towards the paddock, Togetic choosing to stay with the three baby Pokémon, who were now huddled in a corner out of fear. Gary got to the fence and grabbing hold vaulted over it, landing and taking off towards the cloud, noticing that it had now changed directions and was moving away from the house.

'When May said something was wrong with the lab, she wasn't kidding,' Gary thought as he ran, desperately trying to think of what was going on.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen May and Misty arrived to find that a rag was on the floor, and the three bug Pokémon were in a corner, Togetic hovering over them. Misty ran towards them and, kneeling, asked, "Are you guys okay?"

The three bug Pokémon looked at Misty and, running towards her they instantly rubbed up against her, telling her that they were okay. Misty gathered them in her arms and looked at Togetic, who was looking out the door. Swallowing her fear, Misty asked Togetic, "Umm… are you okay?"

Togetic swung his head around when he heard Misty's voice, and, after a moment in which he took in the fact that she had actually spoken to him, and sounded like she was worried about him. He then flew over to her, settled on her shoulder, and rubbed his head against her hair, chirping, "Togetic, Toge, Tog! (I'm fine; thanks for caring!)"

Misty thought she would freak out when Togetic landed on her shoulder, but oddly enough she felt comforted; it was almost as if this Pokémon was able to make her feel better by just being near her. Grinning, she shifted the three small Pokémon in her arms so that she had a hand free to pet Togetic on the head, an action that garnered her more chirping and a wider grin to encompass her face.

Their reunion was interrupted when May ran past Misty and out the patio door, with what appeared to be a belt resembling the one that Misty had seen on Gary, strapped around her waist. "What's wrong, May?" Misty asked, not sure what May was doing.

May turned to Misty and said, "Something's spooked a herd of Tauros, and I bet that's where Gary ran off to. We need to go and help him; bandits may be loose here, and we need to stop them before they do serious damage to the ranch. Come on!" May then took off towards the fence and she thought, 'Thank god I went with my current outfit today; anything else out would have been hell for running in now.' May had on a pair of dark blue jean shorts, a pink tank top, and white sneakers. Misty blinked and, on getting a reassuring nudge from Togetic took off after May, Togetic flying ahead of Misty, and the three bug Pokémon in her arms looking at each other and making a promise to protect their trainer with their lives if necessary.


	21. Trapped in a Net

**Disclaimer:** I have to go and raise the bail money needed to get my team out of jail… that's going to take a while…

_**A/N: **_– Double-checks calendar – Wow, I'm impressed with myself. It's been a little over a month since my last update, and I've triumphantly returned! I know that I happen to very… irregular with updates, but I really am trying to make it up to you guys. I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with me, so I dedicate this chapter to each and every one of you. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 21: Trapped in a Net**

_**3:25 PM, May 16, 2005; Paddock, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

As Gary raced behind the dust cloud that was the Tauros stampede, he could hear the cries of numerous Pokémon that he knew lived just behind the Tauros' paddock. Prior to contrary belief, all of the Pokémon stored at the Oak Laboratory lived in the confines of the paddock, which extended to encase acres and acres of the property, with smaller barriers existing within the larger one. Frowning darkly, Gary continued sprinting towards where he could hear the Pokémon crying in pain, his thoughts rampant. 'What the hell is going on?! Ash's Tauros have always been a little wild, but it's in their nature, and they'd never stampede unless something really spooked them…'

As the ground was eaten up underneath Gary's boots, he could hear the cries getting louder, his mind instantly flashing back to when the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters had attacked Terri and him, and how he had watched as all but one of Terri's Pokémon were attacked and tortured until they died. 'I can't let that happen here; I won't let that happen.' Gary told himself, hoping inside that it would be true.

After a few minutes, Gary reached another smaller paddock and, like he had done earlier he vaulted over the fence, landing in what he recognized as the Grass Pokémon habitat, where Ash's Bulbasaur was supposed to be playing peacemaker. As he looked around, he didn't see any of the area's usual inhabitants, or even Ash's Bulbasaur; in fact, the place looked like it had been abandoned.

"What's going on here?" Gary muttered, his eyes looking around for any traps that might surround him. His eyes caught a movement to his left, and swinging his head around Gary thought he saw a flash of brown fur.

"What the hell," Gary whispered and, bending down, cocked his head to try to get a better view of the bush where he had thought the creature had been. However, on seeing nothing, he stood up and mentally berated himself for being so stupid as to think that the flash of brown could have been a creature when brown tree trunks surrounded him. Then again, May did always say that insanity was an inherited trait in their family; on occasion, that is.

Gary shook his head and on affirming that no one – human or Pokémon – was around, turned around to go to another paddock and continue looking for what had spooked the Tauros when a thought struck him.

"Where'd the Tauros go? I followed the dust cloud they created, which led to this area of the lab, but the fence wasn't broken, meaning that they really didn't come in here. So that means… it's a trap!" Gary's head shot up when he heard maniacal laughing erupt from behind him, but as he reached for a Pokéball on his belt he felt a net fall on him, a sticky material covering the inside of said net that he belatedly realized to be from a String Shot.

"Damn it!" Gary shouted, moving around to try to grab Magmar's Pokéball from his belt and release the volcano Pokémon, which would let him destroy the net, but he couldn't reach his belt; hell, he couldn't move his hand at all!

Gary's mind raced; how could he have allowed himself to fall into such an easy trap?! Honestly, he was a world-renowned Pokémon researcher, grandson to the famous Professor Samuel Oak, and yet here he was trapped in a net as if he was ten years old again. The trap had all of the markings of a Pokémon thief, and having faced Team Rocket over the years in various forms Gary assumed that the trap's masters were indeed the infamous organization, with operatives hiding somewhere around him. Deciding to get them out in the open, Gary yelled, "Alright, you Team Rocket losers, get out here so I can kick your asses!"

Butch and Cassidy, who were watching the young man struggle, shot each other confused looks when Oak mentioned "Team Rocket". Raticate, too, was curious, her head tilted at an odd angle in an attempt to try to understand the meaning of the phrase, which sounded so familiar to her.

Butch was the first to respond to the threat and, taking a deep breath, jumped out of the tree he and Cassidy were hiding in, landing on his feet. Standing up straight, he looked down at the man in the net, noting that the man's eyes were now wide open, filled with an emotion he couldn't quite identify. Moving so that he was in front of the man Butch allowed a smirk to make its way onto his face and, kneeling so that he was closer to eye level with his captive said, "So, this is the infamous Gary Oak. You don't seem too special to me, if how easily you fell into our trap is any indication."

Gary was silent for a moment, his eyes darkened with rage, and then he quietly responded, "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you'd better let me go right now." He lifted his head and Butch's eyes narrowed when he saw the calm but dangerous look directed his way.

Butch opened his mouth to reply when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw that Cassidy's garnet eyes were burning with hatred. Smirking, he stood up and nodded at Cassidy, effectively giving her free rein to pounce on the victim.

"So, Mr. Oak, you think that you can boss us around?" Cassidy questioned her voice frigid. Butch had one ear on the conversation and the other was on the lookout for anything else that might be heading their way.

Gary smirked, replying, "Of course; after all, a filthy Pokémon hunter like you can't get rid of someone like me that easily." Then, without warning, Gary let out two short whistles, followed by a long one. Butch spun around, cursing, and Gary's smirk widened at seeing the small hint of fear that had entered the man's eyes.

Cassidy growled; how dare this man think that he could outwit her?! She wasn't a key Phoenix Pokémon Hunter for nothing. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a Nightmare ball and threw it in the air, taking pleasure in seeing the prisoner's eyes widening a bit in fear when the Pokémon materialized in a burst of black and red light.

"Doom!" came the cry of Cassidy's Houndoom, the dark and fire-type dog howling in anticipation of a battle. As Gary's eyes moved over the Pokémon, he noticed that while the dog's coat colors were the same, its eyes were purple; those same eyes were currently glaring at him, and Gary knew that if his call for help didn't respond soon there wouldn't be anything left of him.

Butch, noticing that Cassidy had called out her Houndoom, nodded to Raticate to come out of the tree, and once the rat Pokémon had done so, whispered what he wanted her to do. Rather than retorting back, Raticate nodded in agreement and, jumping over Gary and Houndoom, ran towards the fence of the paddock, making sure that she was ready to attack if any Pokémon came from that direction to try to help the man in the net.

Cassidy, meanwhile, had begun taunting Gary, her Houndoom's eyes watching both her trainer's movements and the prisoner in front of her. "Oak. What does it feel like to be useless while staring into the eyes of death? Oh, that's right; you've never been in this kind of situation before, have you? Always had your family's money to get you out of trouble, or that reputation of yours to worm your way out of any bad situations. You've never really had to face reality before… am I right?"

Gary's eyes smoldered, and not caring about keeping his temper in check anymore shouted, "Shut up, you bitch! You don't know a damn thing about me, so don't go shooting off your mouth as if you do. I, on the other hand, can honestly say that you are one of the most disgusting people I have met in my entire life. At least when you were with Team Rocket, Cassidy, your actions had something of a noble, if not twisted ring to them. Now, however, you are nothing but an evil bitch that cares for nothing but causing people pain and suffering!"

Cassidy stepped back; how dare this man accuse of her of not being loyal to the Master Elder?! He had practically raised her! He was more of a father to her than her real father had been, and for that, she supported his plans one hundred and thirty percent. Growling, Cassidy made to take a step towards Gary when a loud screech reached her ears, causing her eyes to widen as she desperately tried to find the source of the sound. Butch, too, was now panicking, the screech causing him to flail for a Nightmare Ball on his waist, eyes desperately searching the area in front of him. Raticate had her ears pricked towards the sky behind her while her eyes searched the area in front of her, cursing her trainers for their stupidity in trying to implement what to her seemed a simple plan.

Gary watched his captives' actions and smirked, knowing that help was on the way. His eyes looked to the skies, and on seeing a black speck approaching, allowed the smirk on his face to grow larger. Deciding to try to send another signal to his savior, Gary whistled again, this time two short whistles, drawing Cassidy and her Houndoom's attention to him. Okay, so maybe that hadn't been the smartest move in the world, but what else was he supposed to do?

"What the hell did you do?!" Cassidy demanded, not at all pleased with what was going on.

Gary didn't respond, choosing instead to keep his eyes locked onto Cassidy's, a lopsided grin taking over his face. Cassidy turned her head, determined not to lose her temper to this insolent twerp, but she was finding it extremely taxing to do so. Her eyes glanced at Butch, who had his Hitmontop's Nightmare Ball in his hand, prepared to throw it if he spotted an incoming enemy. She took note of her partner's body language, which signaled that he was nervous as hell, deathly afraid of letting down the Master Elder; something she knew from personal experience never ended up good.

Gary's eyes kept flicking up towards the sky, and upon noticing that the speck had gone unnoticed smirked; time to act. "Attack with Steel Wing!" Gary yelled, startling the Pokémon and humans, so much so that Butch dropped his Nightmare Ball, which released his Hitmontop, the latter's yellow eyes glowing with rage and anger.

The speck in the sky – now revealed as a Pokémon – gave an imperceptible nod to her trainer and, with wings glowing silver, swooped down on the enemies below, her wings clipping both Hitmontop and Houndoom. This sent the two Pokémon flying into trees, leaving indentations in their wake. It then landed and, swinging her tail, knocked the golden-haired woman off her feet and towards the blunette; she made sure to be rough, her actions implying that the prisoner was off limits.

Gary grinned at the Pokémon, and when said Pokémon noticed the net, she reached for it with her teeth and pulled off the net, throwing it off to the side. Gary got to his feet, testing his muscles, and when he found that nothing was broken, grinned at the Pokémon. The Pokémon lowered her head, inviting her trainer to climb aboard. Gary leapt on the Pokémon's back and, almost as if the two were connected, the Pokémon took to the air, using her wings to hover above the petrified Pokémon Hunters.

Butch was the first to recover, and when he did, it was to discover that the Pokémon above him was supposed to be extinct. "How in the hell do you have an Aerodactyl, Oak?!"

Gary smirked and, calling down to the ground, replied, "Let's just say that she's a gift from an old friend." Indeed, Gary's Aerodactyl was something to look at, complete with a solid black body and light hazel eyes, making stealth operations at night a piece of cake.

"Now that the introductions are done with, shall we fight?" Gary asked, his eyes dancing with glee, looking forward to getting revenge on the Pokémon Hunters for not only his embarrassment, but also for what they had done to Terri months ago. Without waiting for a response, Gary gave a silent signal, to which Aerodactyl responded by swooping down once more on the two humans and their Pokémon, her wings glowing, both ready to end the fight in one move.


	22. Battle at the Oak Laboratory

**Disclaimer:** You guys feel like helping me to raise the bail money I need to get my team out of jail?

_**A/N: **_– Double-checks calendar – Oh my god, this is amazing! I'm updating this story for _a second time_ this month! I swear, this is a record! I would help that this helps you guys to begin to reconcile my long updates. I've really been trying this summer, and it's paid off. I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with me, so I dedicate this chapter to each and every one of you. Enjoy! Oh, on another note, I opened a YouTube account, and posted an Egoshipping video. My user name is DarkMagCat, so go and check it out if you want to.

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 22: Battle at the Oak Laboratory**

_**3:45 PM, May 16, 2005; Paddock, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

As Gary and his Aerodactyl looked down on the impending battle scene, both realized that they were outnumbered. Then again, they had an advantage because they were in control of the sky and, as such, both felt it shouldn't be too hard to win the battle. After all, previous experience had shown them that those who controlled the sky often ruled the day.

"Ready to go?" Gary asked Aerodactyl and when the prehistoric Pokémon screeched in reply Gary continued, "Excellent. Okay, let's spook 'em a little with a Wing Attack." Aerodactyl took off towards her enemies, her black wings glowing white with an attack.

"Move it!" Cassidy yelled as she and her Houndoom leapt out of the way. Butch managed to save himself with a few inches to spare while his Hitmontop was clipped by Aerodactyl's wings. The fighting-type Pokémon flew back a few feet, landing roughly on the ground, dirt flying up into the air. Gary, smirking, took his Aerodactyl back up into the sky, taunting the two enemies on the ground with varied and dangerous-looking aerial stunts that served to make every attack aimed their way miss.

"You missed!" Gary taunted, adrenaline rushing through him. Further, to show his opponents how badly he thought of them, Gary stuck out his tongue at Cassidy and Butch, causing the former's eyes to narrow dangerously. Aerodactyl, copying her trainer roared out a challenge to the enemy Pokémon, one that both Houndoom and Hitmontop accepted without fear.

Without a command from Cassidy Houndoom began spitting fireballs at the flying Pokémon, growing progressively angrier as each fireball missed its mark. Cassidy tried to get her Houndoom to change tactics and charge a Solarbeam attack but the dark and fire-type dog ignored her; he was too involved with trying to hit his flying target to listen to anything that Cassidy said.

Butch's Hitmontop, meanwhile, was working on a viable attack plan that would hit that damn flying fossil. Hitmontop, unlike his partner Pokémon actually thought things through before attacking. Hitmontop had pulled himself off the ground and, hiding in the bushes ran through all of his attacks in an attempt to figure out which one would work the best. Suddenly, an idea came to the fighting Pokémon and with a smirk he emerged from the bush and, bouncing on his feet landed on his head and began spinning wildly, dredging up sand from beneath the lush grass, using his new weapon to fill the air with sand particles.

"Damn it, it's a Sandstorm!" Gary exclaimed, bringing a hand over his eyes in an attempt to block the sand. Gary and Aerodactyl tried to climb above the sand but found it an almost impossible task due to the large amount of sand that now filled the air, and the continuous dodging of the fireballs from Cassidy's Houndoom didn't help matters much either. Thinking quickly Gary leaned down to Aerodactyl's ear and yelled, "Use Whirlwind at full power!"

Aerodactyl screeched and, flapping her wings as quickly as possible sent large gusts of air into the center of the tornado of sand. After a few minutes, the sandstorm slowly abated, allowing Gary and Aerodactyl time to situate themselves further above the sand where clear air and vision awaited them.

Patting Aerodactyl's neck Gary said, "Good job girl." He winced when he saw the state of the Grass Pokémon Paddock; it was covered in sand, and the ground was so torn up that it might have as well been a mountain range in the process of water erosion. 'Gramps is going to murder me.'

"It's not over yet!" Cassidy screamed and, as she stepped out from her mishmash shelter – a small hole she'd dug in the ground behind a nearby thorn bush, she reached to her belt for another Nightmare Ball. However, she stopped when she heard more voices approaching; from what she was hearing, both were female; and young too. Spinning around she saw to her utter disgust the "calvary" closing in – Oak's annoying sister and the red-haired freak. Then again, this could work to her advantage… "Butch, change of plans. Grab the red-haired freak and let's scram!"

Butch tensed briefly, not appreciating the treatment of a rookie Phoenix Pokémon Hunter (those who were forced to scrub the toilets when he was technically in charge of the mission but he nodded and ran towards the red-haired woman, who had stopped in her tracks and was frozen in what he supposed to be fear at his approach. Butch had almost reached her when in a flash of white light a Shuckle appeared, its blue eyes glaring into Butch's. Butch nearly laughed; no one used Shuckle as anything more than a producer of Berry Juice, considering that they were weak as hell. This was going to be a piece of cake.

"Out of my way, turtle!" Butch commanded, expecting the Pokémon to jump aside out of fear but, of course, Shuckle merely positioned itself completely in front of his charge, his blue eyes narrowing. Figures; his opponent has to be an arrogant ass who doesn't see reason, and wants to risk his own life instead. It was truly pitiful.

Shuckle suddenly gulped in a large amount of air and to Butch's horror spewed a large stream of back and purple acid his way.

"Shit!" Butch fell flat on his stomach and covered his head, just missing receiving injuries from the Pokémon's Gastro Acid attack. Looking up, Butch saw the narrowed eyes of Shuckle again and, smiling wanly said, "He, he, well, look at the time. I'm out."

Butch ran and on the way grabbed Cassidy and ignoring her yelling and protesting threw her over his shoulder as he ran towards the front of the Oak Homestead, intent on picking up Raticate from where she was presumptively unconscious. Butch wasn't stupid; they were outnumbered, and he sure as hell didn't want to get acid burns from a _Shuckle_! He'd never be able to live that down.

As Butch ran through the now broken fence, he whistled for Houndoom and Hitmontop to follow him, and the Pokémon, after sharing exasperated glances followed, intent on making sure their trainers weren't harmed. Incidentally, both Pokémon had avoided Shuckle's multiple Gastro Acid attacks (the turtle had launched more attacks at the enemy Pokémon as they tried to escape), but were suffering from attacks that came from the bastard Aerodactyl. Houndoom had burns on his muzzle and left back leg from multiple, powerful Fire Fangs that he hadn't managed to dodge, along with gashes on his left side from a Wing Attack. Hitmontop had also received slashes from a Wing Attack on his left side, but was also walking unsteadily from the effects of a very powerful Supersonic attack, whose symptoms were gradually wearing off.

As the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters retreated, Gary let out a sigh of relief; he had only scraped by with the skin of his teeth and that had only been because Aerodactyl had heard his whistle. If Aerodactyl hadn't heard the whistle… well, Gary didn't want to think about that. He looked down and was relieved to see that Misty and May were okay and that May's Shuckle had done all right in protecting Misty (this, of course, meant that Gary had to compliment his sister for her quick thinking… that was not going to be a good time for him). Landing, Gary dismounted and began talking to Aerodactyl, whispering words of comfort and praise. Aerodactyl tilted her head and growled, enjoying the attention, and after bribing her master into scratching behind her right ear turned and folded her wings in, appearing, from a distance, to be a rather large black bird. Gary then turned his attention to May and Misty and asked, "You ladies okay?"

May nodded. "Yep, thanks to Shuckle here." She knelt and, fishing a few Oran Berries out of her side pouch, fed it to the turtle Pokémon, who cheerfully munched on his reward.

Misty blinked, trying to recover her wits, and when she managed to do so weakly smiled and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Though, I feel so useless because I just froze and couldn't do anything to help. I was weak, and I hate it." She knelt and carefully reached out a hand to Shuckle and after some hesitation pet him, which brought a smile to her face. The dual-type Pokémon growled in contentment, shifting his head such that Misty was able to get to the most hard to reach places.

Gary and May looked at each other and May said, "If you want, Misty, Gary and I can retrain you so you know how to battle again."

Misty looked up. "Retrain? You mean I knew about Pokémon before I lost my memories?"

Gary face palmed and groaned, replying, "Yeah, you were a great trainer, but I wanted to wait until you felt better before telling you. It can't be helped now, though. You need to know how to defend yourself in case those people come back for you."

Misty sighed. "I understand why you didn't tell me earlier but didn't you think I needed to know about such a crucial part of my past before now?" She didn't catch what Gary had said about the hunters being after her; she was too focused on the training she was going to get in Pokémon battling and how her cousin had left out part of her past.

"Um…"

"Whatever," Misty replied, cutting Gary off. "It's in the past and if you remember anything else that's important in my past you'll tell me, right?"

"Sure, you got it," Gary replied, knowing that no matter how much other information he gave to Misty he'd never tell her about her engagement to that bastard Ash Ketchum. If he didn't care about her then he didn't deserve her and Gary was honest enough with himself to admit that he cared about her; how deep he had no clue. No matter; all that was important was that Misty didn't get hurt again, and Gary was going to make sure of it.


	23. Re teaching

**Disclaimer:** I am begging you guys for bail money so that I can get my team out of jail... look deep inside and help me please!

**A/N:** Well, here's the next update, and I have to say that this is one of my personal favorites. Hopefully, you'll see why. Also, I've started my junior year in college, meaning that I'm going to have a lot less time to update. I will try, however, to not let you guys wait six months for the next update. In the meantime, enjoy, and Happy Labor Day (to those who celebrate it, that is)!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

**Chapter 23: Re-teaching**

_**9:45 AM, May 17, 2005; Paddock, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

"Okay, Misty, are you ready to learn how to battle again?" Gary asked as he stood on one side of the makeshift battlefield, Swablu perched on his shoulder. Misty, situated on the opposite side of the makeshift battlefield grinned weakly. May was standing next to her, ready to step in and help if needed. All three young adults had decided to hold off on training until the next day, when spirits were going to be high and they all had gotten some sleep.

Gary nodded and, shifting his shoulder sent a signal to Swablu that it was time to start. Swablu chirped and flew to the ground, her pink eyes studying the auburn-haired woman in front of her. "Step one: examine the enemy."

Misty nodded and, narrowing her eyes tried to see what about the lavender, pink-eyed Pokémon was so dangerous. The Pokémon was tiny and had wings… okay, there was a danger. Wings meant flight, and flight meant control of the skies. Beyond that, Misty couldn't think of anything that seemed dangerous about the small Pokémon; then again, it might help if she actually knew what kind of Pokémon she was facing.

As if reading Misty's mind, May Oak reached over and, tapping Misty's shoulder handed her a dark blue device that had what seemed to be a light green gem on top. On seeing Misty's confused look May said, "It's a Pokédex. Our grandfather invented them. This one is the most recent with just over 500 Pokémon recorded."

Misty gaped; 500 Pokémon?! That was a lot. Wait… "Um, how do I use it?"

May winked and, reaching into her pocket pulled out a smaller model than what she had given Misty. It was pale pink with a blue gem on the top and, flipping it open, May pointed it at Swablu. Misty's eyes grew wide as she heard voice from seemingly nowhere and, looking around saw to her amazement that it was May's Pokédex who was speaking. As Misty listened to the voice from the Pokédex her amazement grew at how much the tiny machine knew while making sure that she heard the Pokédex entry, which went something like this: "_Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. This Pokémon has wings that resemble cottony clouds. After enduring winter, where not much food is available, entire flocks will come together in the spring near towns in order to try to find more food. Swablu are dual-type Pokémon, meaning that they have two types. They are Dragon-types and Flying-types."_

May closed her Pokédex and after placing it back in her pocket looked at Misty and said, "There you go; simple as that. Now you try." Misty nodded and pointed her own Pokédex at Swablu, but instead of the feminine voice that May's Pokédex had had, hers had a soothing male voice that somehow put her at ease. Her Pokédex told her the same thing that May's had and following her cousin's example Misty placed her Pokédex in her pocket.

May nodded to Gary who nodded in return and, looking at Misty said, "Step two: Choose your lead Pokémon carefully with a strategy in mind."

Misty nodded and began thinking. 'Okay, let me think. The Pokédex said that Swablu is both a Dragon and a Flying-type, meaning that my three bug Pokémon aren't going to be much use, plus I don't want them to get hurt. The only other Pokémon I know I have is that white one… what was his name, um, oh yeah.'

"I choose Togetic," Misty declared, garnering a surprised look from Gary, who was wondering how she remembered Togetic when he had never said the Pokémon's name around her. Togetic, meanwhile, chirped happily, realizing that his trainer finally remembered him. Landing in front of Misty Togetic's eyes narrowed. Oh, he knew that this was only a practice match but he intended to win it.

Gary nodded and said, "Good. Step three: Begin." Then, before Misty could react he yelled, "Swablu, use Sing!" Swablu chirped and began singing a melodious lullaby that drifted over towards Togetic, who began to sway noticeably.

Misty, panicking, yelled, "Togetic, don't listen!" Togetic seemed to have heard her because he shook his head and, chirping angrily took to the air, his small wings beating furiously. Misty, her mind drawing a blank on attacks that Togetic knew shouted, "Um, use Tackle!" Togetic launched himself towards Swablu, who effortlessly dodged the attack, taking to the air on her own.

"Swablu, use Mist," Gary stated calmly, and Swablu's eyes began to glow as a thin mist appeared, covering the battlefield. Togetic looked around trying to find his bearings in the mist and in doing so narrowly avoided a Tackle attack from Swablu.

Misty silently cursed. She couldn't see a damn thing and now her Togetic was suffering. "What do I do now?" Misty appealed to May for help and as she did so May silently asked herself what Gary was doing, throwing Misty into a battle right away without sitting her down and explaining the basics of battling first. The idiot; did he want to get Misty hurt or, worse, snuff out her passion before battling before she even knew she had one?

"Well, see if Togetic knows Whirlwind or Gust," May suggested, her tone a combination of lightness and seriousness. Misty nodded and called out the command, breathing a sigh of relief when the mist silently disappeared, allowing her to see the two Pokémon again.

Swablu was easily floating on an updraft, her wings spread out to catch the warm air. Togetic, meanwhile, was starting to get tired, as he had to flap his wings continually to stay in the air. Misty's eyes narrowed; what now? Then, all of a sudden an attack came to her and, grinning Misty said, "Togetic, use Metronome."

Togetic chirped and, waving his fingers back and forth soon had a silver aura surrounding him. Gary and Swablu watched warily; both had heard of how destructive Misty's Togetic's Metronome attack was from Brock, and as such, knew that caution was necessary. "Swablu, use Protect." Swablu chirped and enveloped herself in a silver aura in a matter of seconds, hunching down in preparation for the results of Togetic's attack.

Togetic's eyes flashed open and without warning, he launched a large lightning bolt towards Swablu.

"Shit!" Gary exclaimed, hoping that Swablu's Protect could hold out. As the two attacks collided, both trainers had to cover their faces to prevent the dust from getting in their eyes and mouths. When the dust cleared Togetic was on the ground, his eyes narrowed and Swablu was out cold, her Protect having not been strong enough to block the attack.

Misty's mouth dropped then, grinning she began to leap up and down, screaming, "I won! I won!" Togetic soon joined in, adding his chirping to Misty's victory chant.

Gary smiled and moving forward picked up Swablu, whispering to her, "Thanks for letting her win." Swablu nodded weakly before losing consciousness again. Moving towards Misty Gary held out his hand and said, "Step four: be a gracious winner and/or loser." Grinning, Misty took Gary's hand and shook it, neither paying attention to the sparks that flew from the point of contact.

"Now that we've introduced you to battling again, I think we should see how many Pokémon you have with you," Gary said, motioning with his shoulder towards the kitchen where he knew for a fact Misty's backpack was. Misty, still grinning took off for the kitchen, Togetic following. May, however, glared at her brother, who remained un-phased.

"Why did you throw her into a battle completely unprepared?" May hissed. "She could have gotten hurt, or worse, Togetic could have gotten hurt and Misty would've blamed herself!"

Gary closed his eyes and, taking a deep breath to calm his temper replied, "Listen, May. Misty needs to know how to think on her feet. Those guys whom we battled yesterday were not ordinary thieves; they're from the same group that killed Terri."

"Oh my god, Gary, I'm so sorry!" May reached out to place a hand on Gary's shoulder but he moved away, muttering that he was fine.

"If you're done pitying me, May, let's go. Not polite to keep our cousin waiting, right?" Gary proceeded to walk towards the kitchen, his Swablu resting comfortingly in his arms. May watched her younger brother leave, realizing that even though she had known him his entire life she still didn't know everything about him, something which really bothered her.

_**10:15 AM, May 17, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

"Okay, Gary, what do I do now?" Misty asked Togetic perched on her shoulder. Misty had followed the Oak siblings into the basement where she had been shocked to learn that their grandfather had a very large and modern laboratory, complete with multiple computers, a device for healing Pokémon, racks with various trainers' Pokémon in their Pokéballs, a device that Gary said was for exchanging Pokémon at various Pokémon Centers, and other interesting things.

"Well," Gary said, walking over from where Swablu was still getting healed, "first let's talk a bit about you." Misty cocked her head, curious. "What I mean is, what May and I knew about you before you got amnesia."

"Okay," Misty said slowly, not sure how to react.

"What my brother means to say," May interrupted, "is that when you were a Pokémon trainer you were the Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym."

"That's great! Um... what's a gym leader?"

"A gym leader's a person who specializes in one type of Pokémon and as such is very skilled with said type. He or she then proceeds to apply to the Pokémon League for permission to open a gym in their hometown or, if their family has been gym leaders then the children can inherit the gym from their parents," Gary replied, his eyes meeting Misty's blue orbs. "Your parents were the gym leaders of the Cerulean Gym, and then you and your sisters were the gym leaders. You all specialized in Water Pokémon."

"I see," Misty replied, eyes narrowed in thought. "Then that means that I would have to have mostly Water Pokémon, right?"

"Right," May confirmed. She nodded to Misty's dark blue backpack, which was currently looking worse for wear. "That's your bag and although Gary and I haven't looked in it we are positive that some of your Pokémon are in there." She walked over and grabbed the backpack, placing it on a table in front of Gary, Misty, and herself.

"Ready to see what other Pokémon you have?" Gary asked softly, the volume of it somehow reassuring Misty and driving away the nerves that she had been feeling in her stomach… oh wait, those were butterflies, right? Whatever.

Misty breathed deeply and replied, "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Opening the bag, she hesitated a moment before reaching inside and pulling out a miniaturized Pokéball that was half-teal and half-white, the teal part showing black lines criss-crossing it like a net.

"It's a Net Ball," Gary said when he saw Misty's confused expression. "It's used to make catching Bug and Water-type Pokémon easier." Misty nodded and, reaching in again pulled out two miniaturized Pokéballs, one the customary half-white and half-red while the other shared the same color scheme of the previous one but the red half had small black circles encircled in yellow.

"The ball with the circles is a Repeat Ball," May said, taking over for Gary. "They're used to catch Pokémon you've already caught before. It's very useful if you like one type of Pokémon and want one to match or for evolution purposes. The other one is a regular Pokéball."

"Okay," Misty said, gently placing the two balls next to the Net Ball. Reaching inside the bag again, she pulled out two more miniaturized balls, both of whom were half-white and half- pale blue and teal. On this top half, there was a weird red design, almost like some kind of bait.

"What are these kinds of Pokéballs?" Misty asked.

"Those are both Lure Balls. They make catching Pokémon you've hooked with a fishing rod an easier job," Gary responded, his eyes covertly taking in the different types of Pokéballs that Misty had in front of her. She had certainly gotten around, having found and utilized so many different types of Pokémon, along with many different kinds of Pokéballs.

Misty reached in one more time and, moving her hand around brushed against a piece of paper but ignored it, too focused on finding another Pokéball. Just when she was going to give up hope, her fingers wrapped around it and, sighing in relief she pulled it out and cocked her head at the strange design. It, like all of the others was half-white, but instead of it being half-red, it was half-purple, with a small capital "M" in white on the front of the ball, along with two larger, fuchsia-colored orbs on the top of the ball.

"What's this one guys?" Misty asked, somehow managing to sound like an innocent five-year old with the question. She looked at Gary and May, both of whom were staring at the ball with dropped jaws and wide eyes. "Guys?"

"Where, where did you get a _Master Ball_?" May squealed; excitement overcoming her shock that Misty had a _Master Ball_ of all things.

"I don't know. You guys tell me because I don't remember anything," Misty replied, eyes narrowed somewhat at how surprised her cousins were at her owning a Master Ball.

"I don't know where you got it, Misty, but I will say that however you got it you must have one hell of a Pokémon in there," Gary replied, his eyes narrowing slightly at the thought of what could be in the Pokéball, and what it could mean for Misty.

'Is this what those damn hunters are after?' Gary thought, watching as May began teaching Misty the other functions of her Pokédex. 'For her sake, I hope not.'


	24. News Reports

**Disclaimer:** I am begging for bail money so that I can get my team out of jail... look deep inside and help me please!

**A/N:** Well, guess what: here's an update! I also kept my promise; it's not been six months since my last update; it's only been, let's see, about three and a half months... so not bad! Anyway, 'tis time to take a break from our favorite couple and look in on some other key characters... which is what this chapter features. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Oh, and this year's Christmas fic. – _Holiday Surprises_ – is online. Enjoy and Happy Holidays again!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 24: News Reports**

_**11:45 AM, May 17, 2005; Andreas Homestead, Veilstone City, Sinnoh Region**_

"When are they going to get here?" Dawn Valen muttered, pacing in front of a bay window that showed the front yard of her boyfriend Paul's home. Paul Andreas rolled his eyes from his position on the couch, ignoring his girlfriend in favor of the news, which was currently detailing the success of the Orange Island League's top trainer, Drake, in keeping yet another trainer from winning. From what he had been able to piece together (as Paul loved to know everything about an opponent, especially losses) that loser Ash Ketchum had actually beat Drake when he was thirteen. Then, the idiot had given the title back to Drake, saying that although he would love to stay and defend his title he had more regions to explore and more Pokémon to discover. Paul couldn't understand why Ketchum, when he had all of the fame and glory that came with being the king of a Pokémon League, would _turn it down_ to travel to other regions. What a loser.

"Are you listening to me?" Dawn asked, placing her hands on her hips. Dawn was currently dressed in a pair of pale blue, knee-length jean shorts, a pale pink tee shirt and a white jean jacket, along with a pair of white sandals. She was also wearing a necklace with a pendant in the shape of a star that Paul had gotten for her on their one-year anniversary, her dark blue hair loose and reaching down to her shoulders.

Paul sighed. "Yes, I have been listening. You're upset that your friends Kenny and Zoey aren't here yet." Paul was dressed in black jeans, a dark blue tee shirt, a black leather jacket, and his hiking boots.

Dawn sighed in exasperation. "One of these days I'm going to figure out how you can zone out and yet still hear every word that I say!"

Paul smirked. "Sorry, but that's a secret."

Just then, the doorbell rang and Dawn, grinning wildly, raced to the door and pulled it open to reveal her two best friends, Kenny Winters and Zoey Nagano. "Finally! I was afraid that you two weren't going to make it!"

Zoey grinned. "I wouldn't miss this Pokémon Contest for the world, Dawn." Kenny nodded in agreement with his girlfriend. Both missed Paul's sudden intake of air but Dawn heard it and, spinning around froze when she saw what had caused Paul to react so suddenly.

_"This just in: trainers from the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Regions have vanished without a trace, among them world-class trainers Brendan Birch, May Maple, Drew Rhosyn, Ritchie Lagner, Casey Signit, and current World Champion Ash Ketchum. Gym Leaders from the previously mentioned regions have also vanished, and their families are pleading for any information that might lead to their return."_ The news anchor looked nervous as she prepared to announce the next story, beads of sweat running down her brow.

"_In other news, an organization calling itself the "Phoenix Pokémon Hunters" has been rumored to be kidnapping young trainers without warning, leaving behind the symbol of a phoenix for their families to find. Reports have poured in from all over the regions, with confirmed sightings of these thieves in the Sinnoh Region. Police advise trainers to be on their guard for anything suspicious, and if they see a kidnapping occur or hear rumors of one having occurred, they are urged to contact the local authorities right away. These people are armed and dangerous, and if you see them you are advised to run and call the police."_

Paul pressed the mute button and turned to the other trainers, all of whom had paled considerably. Meeting Dawn's look he nodded. "Looks like Ketchum's gotten himself into trouble yet again."

Dawn nodded, already moving up towards the bedroom that she and Paul shared to grab a large backpack. "Seems that way; I'll go start packing."

"Packing? Packing for what?" Kenny asked, folding his arms in front of his chest. Kenny was dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, a green, long-sleeved shirt, and a dark blue jean vest. He had left his backpack near the door.

Dawn paused on the stairs and, leaning on the railing to look at her friends responded, "To go and help Ash, of course."

"Are you insane?" Kenny demanded, his eyes widening in disbelief at what he was hearing. "Those Phoenix people are completely nuts; if they see us we'll be taken captive as well, and possibly be killed!"

Dawn cocked her head and, grinning replied, "Yes, well, that may happen, but how many times have we come close to dying while traveling on our own individual Pokémon journeys?"

"Dawn's right," Zoey commented, taking her orange-rimmed sunglasses out of her short, bright red hair. Zoey was dressed in black jeans, a maroon tee shirt, and an orange vest. Like her boyfriend, Zoey had left her backpack at the door. "We need to go and help Ash and his friends. He'd do the same for us, plus this really shouldn't be all that different then when we faced Team Rocket all those times when we were younger."

"Yeah, but those buffoons couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag!"

"Those fools," Paul commented quietly from behind Kenny, causing the Pokémon coordinator to leap a foot in the air, "are a rarity among the organization. From what I've gathered, there are other elite teams who have killed to meet their objectives and who have a one hundred percent success rate."

Zoey cocked her head. "Just how do you know so much about Team Rocket, Paul?"

Paul glanced at Zoey, his obsidian eyes not giving anything away. "Research." He then moved to go upstairs to his bedroom and start packing his own supplies. "If you two are interested in coming with us, then retrieve all of your Pokémon, along with bigger supply packs, and meet us back here in two days."

Zoey nodded and said, "Right." Running towards the door she grabbed the backpack she had brought in preparation for the contest and, placing a hand on the doorknob turned to look at Kenny. "Are you coming?"

Kenny looked at her and, throwing his arms in the air said, "Do I have a choice? Yes, I'm with you." Kenny grabbed his backpack and, following Zoey out the door knew that he would probably regret his rash decision in the future... but would go along to protect Zoey, if nothing else.

_**12:45 PM, May 17, 2005; Petalburg City Gym, Petalburg City, Hoenn Region**_

"Good job, Max. You're really improving," Norman Maple commented to his son after being bested in battle. Recalling his Vigoroth in a beam of red light Norman grinned. It was gratifying to see how far his son had come in the six years since becoming an official Pokémon trainer. Granted, Max had trained for three years before that, but he hadn't journeyed until he was 13, citing that he had wanted to do some personal training as well as Pokémon training close to home. Norman hadn't argued, knowing that his wife Caroline was ecstatic that their son was willing to stay close to home for longer than his sister May had.

"Thanks, dad," Max commented wiping sweat off his brow as he looked at his victorious Gardevoir. Max was now nineteen years old, and had shot up in height, matching his father's height easily. He still wore his glasses, but also had a pair of contacts in case he ever needed eyesight that wouldn't be handicapped by glasses. Max had also grown as a trainer, going back over the path that he had once traveled with Ash and running into old friends whom he'd befriended, some of whom he then caught. His pride and joy was his Gardevoir, whom he'd promised when he was nine to come back and make her his best Pokémon. He'd done that, and more, and was now considered one of the up-and-coming Pokémon trainers in the world.

"Good job, Gardevoir," Max said smiling at his prize psychic-type.

"Gardevoir," Gardevoir said floating over to Max and butting her head against his chest playfully. Although Max had chosen a Treecko from Professor Birch to start his journey, he had made sure to collect Gardevoir (then a Ralts) as his first task rather than go and take on Roxanne at the Rustboro City Gym. Although it had taken him a few months to get back to where he had met Ralts, it had been worth it as he had made some valuable connections over the years and had caught more old friends.

"Say, Max, have you heard from May at all?" Norman asked, tucking Vigoroth's Pokéball in his pocket and walking toward the house.

Max frowned as he recalled Gardevoir in a beam of red light before replying, "Actually, now that you mention it, not since New Year's Day when she called raving about the party she had attended with both Drew and Brendan as escorts."

Norman opened his mouth to reply when his wife, Caroline, came running out of the house, panic and worry written on her features. "Caroline, what's wrong?"

"It's all over the news! They've said that... that May's been kidnapped!" Caroline all but wailed, obviously distraught over what she had heard.

"What?" Norman and Max demanded, with Norman placing his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Norman demanded and Caroline, too distraught to reply pointed to the kitchen where the television had the news in. Max rushed into the kitchen just in time to hear a re-cap of the number one story of the hour.

_"To review our top story, reports have been coming in from around the world of world-class Pokémon trainers going missing with nary a trace. Among those missing is local Pokémon Coordinator May Maple, who holds the title of top Pokémon Coordinator in the Hoenn and Johto Regions. May was last seen en route to a three-month conference in Slateport City for up-and-coming Pokémon Coordinators and trainers in February with fellow Pokémon Coordinator Drew Rhosyn, but reports have come in that those trainers who attended the conference have mysteriously vanished. Why this information was not released to the press before this point is unknown._

_"There are also rumors that World Champion Ash Ketchum and the new Elite Four have gone missing. The Indigo League, Ketchum's headquarters, declined to comment on the rumors. We'll keep you updated as more information becomes available."_

Norman sat down in shock. Caroline came over and, wrapping her arms around her husband said, "Thank god that you had to leave early."

Max, who was leaning against the counter, frowned. "I don't get it. May's been through enough obstacles and events where she's had to use her mind to escape. I don't understand how she could go missing, especially since she had most, if not all, of her Pokémon with her. Plus, Drew was with her, and if I know Drew he'd do anything to protect her."

Norman shook his head. "I don't know Max; I just don't know." Caroline continued to sob onto Norman's shoulder and the Petalburg City Gym Leader knew it was damn lucky that he had had to leave the conference early. An emergency had come up at the gym, which he himself had had to attend to, the trainees under him unable to handle the crisis themselves. What he couldn't understand was how his sweet, innocent little May had been taken captive when she had had her entire Pokémon team with her.

Max suddenly rushed out of the kitchen without warning and Norman and Caroline could hear him slamming doors and drawers in his room, looking for something. Five minutes later, Max ran back into the kitchen and, sliding to a stop allowed his parents to get a look at him. Caroline placed a hand in front of her mouth to try to stifle the sobs she knew threatened to overtake her. Max had his largest backpack with him, along with what appeared to be all of his traveling gear.

"Max?" Norman questioned cautiously, his black eyes meeting Max's own.

"I have to go and find her, dad," Max replied, slipping his brown leather jacket over his dark gray tee shirt with the Balance Badge on it, dark brown cargo pants, and brown hiking boots. He slung his Pokégear over his neck, attached his PokéNav to his belt, and put on his Pokétch, a gift from May for his eighteenth birthday. He finally drew his hair back into a low ponytail, the final sign that he was determined to go out and find his sister.

Turning to face his parents he went and hugged them, saying, "She's my sister, and one of my best friends. I have to go and find her before..." Max trailed off, not daring to finish the sentence, but even without finishing it he and his parents knew what he was going to say.

"Godspeed, Max," Norman whispered and Max nodded, promising to call them everyday before he stepped out of the kitchen and started his quest to find his sister, no matter the cost. He knew what his first stop would be: Pallet Town, Kanto Region.

_**1:45 PM, May 17, 2005; Trovita Island Gym, Trovita Island, Orange Island Archipelago**_

Marie Trovita was playing with her Azurill while watching the _Pokémon News Network_, or the _PNN_, when the news anchor was handed a piece of paper and went white.

_"Breaking news just in from the mainland, specifically the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Regions. Famous Pokémon trainers and Gym Leaders have gone missing, some from as long ago as a year to just under a few weeks. Reports indicate that a group calling itself the "Phoenix Pokémon Hunters" has claimed responsibility for all of the attacks, leaving behind the symbol of a phoenix when they have taken a trainer hostage._

_"Those known to have been taken include Sevii Island native Lorelai Prima, who has held a spot in the Kanto and Johto Pokémon League's Elite Four for the past decade and is now retired from the Pokémon League. Also missing is current Pokémon League Champion Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, along with his new Elite Four – Brendan Birch, Ritchie Lagner, Harrison Jackson, and Casey Signit. Viewers may remember Mr. Ketchum for his stunning victory in the Orange League eight years ago at the age of thirteen, then his giving the title back to current champion Drake due to extenuating circumstances, followed by his ascension to the rank of Pokémon Master a mere two years ago, the youngest champion ever. _

"_Yet another well-known resident of our archipelago to go missing is Tracey Sketchit, who was accepted as Professor Samuel Oak's assistant seven years ago and is well on his way to becoming a certified Pokémon Professor in his own right. Mr. Sketchit is also known as a famous Pokémon Watcher; in fact, Valencia Island's Professor Felina Ivy has used some of his findings in recent research._

_"When asked, Mr. Pokémon, the Pokémon League president, declined to comment on why Mr. Ketchum's absence was now only released to the media, but did say that all of his resources were working on trying to locate the trainers and gym leaders who have gone missing day and night. More will be reported as we learn it." _

Marie's breath caught as she heard the report. 'Wait... if all of the mainland gym leaders have gone missing, then that means that Misty's missing!'

"Rudy!" Marie called as she picked up Azurill and raced through the gym out into the dancing studio where her brother was training with his Hariyama.

"What's up Marie?" Rudy asked as he poked his head out of the studio, but upon seeing his sister's face said, "Marie, did something happen?"

"The news just said that trainers and gym leaders on the mainland are missing, which means that Misty's missing!"

Rudy's eyes widened. 'No... it can't be.' Rudy had accepted that Misty had chosen Ash all those years ago, but that didn't mean that he had stopped caring. Rudy and Misty still kept in contact, exchanging information on the latest Water Pokémon, and he had sent his congratulations when she and Ash had gotten engaged.

"Shouldn't Ash go and save her?" Rudy asked, unable to keep a hint of bitterness out of his voice.

Marie shook her head. "Ash's missing too; apparently, he's been missing for a while now, according to the news. What are we going to do?"

Rudy took a Pokéball off his belt and, after recalling his Hariyama turned to his sister and said, "We're going to go and save them. Go and get Cissy on the line; she'll have some ideas."

Marie nodded and ran off to contact her brother's girlfriend. 'Not that he'll admit it, considering that he's still hung up on Misty.' Rudy thought that his kid sister didn't realize that he liked Cissy more than as a friend, but she wasn't a little kid anymore.

'I'm fifteen, and I know that he likes Cissy. Now, the only thing I have to do is get him to realize it. I still think of Misty as a sister, but I kinda like Cissy better. Besides, she lives closer.' Marie dialed up Cissy while thinking about playing matchmaker. 'It's dangerous, because if they find out then I'm dead.'

_"Mikan Island Gym,"_ came a voice and Marie winced. Damn, it was Cissy's little brother, Senta. As the boy's face appeared, it broke into a large grin. _"Hey there, Marie. Didja call to ask me out?"_

Marie frowned and replied, "In your dreams. This isn't a social call. I need to speak to Cissy."

_"What do you need to speak to her about?"_ Senta frowned. Why couldn't she see how much he liked her? Was she that dense to not realize that she liked him too?

Marie rolled her eyes. "Did you see the news?"

_"No. Why?"_

"Trainers have gone missing on the mainland, including Lorelai Prima, Tracey Sketchit, and Ash Ketchum."

_"Wait, _Ash_ went missing? What the hell?"_ Cissy's voice interrupted Senta from the back of the gym.

_"Senta, don't curse!"_

Senta grumbled before saying, _"Gotcha. You want to speak to Cissy to come up with a plan, right?"_

"Not just me, but Rudy as well," Marie answered, her Azurill having moved to her shoulder. "So can you get Cissy on the line?"

_"I'm here, Marie," _Cissy said, her face appearing on the screen alongside Senta's.

"Good. Rudy's on his way, and he wants to talk to you," Marie said. Cissy's face got a confused look.

_"He does? What about?"_

"About all of the trainers and gym leaders that are missing on the mainland," Rudy commented, coming up to the monitor. He flashed a grin at Cissy, who rolled her eyes. Senta and Marie exchanged knowing glances. "We need a plan to help them."

_"Who says we have to?"_

"One, it's our duty as Gym Leaders to find our missing comrades. Two, some good friends are missing, including Tracey, Ash, and Misty; not to mention your idol Lorelai."

_"I can't believe Lorelai would let herself be captured,"_ Cissy said after a minute of silence. _"Do you have any ideas?"_

"As a matter of fact, I do," Rudy said his eyes narrowing. "I think we should get the entire Orange Crew together and head over to the mainland where we can get into contact with, say, Professor Oak. I'm sure that Professor Ivy would be more than willing to help cut a lot of the red tape. Sound like a plan?"

_"Count me in," _Cissy said, her eyes narrowing as well. _"Oh, and Rudy?"_

"Yeah?"

_"Did anyone tell you that have gorgeous eyes?" _Cissy asked, and without waiting for a reply winked and hung up, with Senta smirking at the Trovita Island Gym Leader's face as he too hung up. The tips of Rudy's ears were stained red from Sissy's comment, and Marie couldn't help giggling. 'Cissy, you rock.'


	25. Misty's Team

**Disclaimer:** I am begging you guys for bail money so that I can get my team out of jail... look deep inside and help me please!

**A/N:** Well, guess what: here's an update! I also kept my promise; it's not been six months since my last update; it's only been, let's see, about four and a half months... so not bad! My cliffhangers just keep getting better, ne? Back to Pallet Town to check up on our hero and heroine… Oh, and I'm trying something new out with the Pokémon's speech patterns. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 25: Misty's Team**

_**11:15 AM, May 17, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

After Misty had found the last of the Pokéballs in her backpack (Master Ball) she had taken out her Pokédex (which Gary had looked at, wondering where she had gotten it) and began researching all of the different types of Pokéballs, and just why a Master Ball was so important. After all, if her cousins' faces were any indication, then the Master Ball had to be something special.

Gary, meanwhile, had retrieved his Swablu from the healing machine and the small Pokémon was currently perched on his shoulder, her pink eyes watching as his fingers flew over a keyboard. Gary, for his part, had allowed his curiosity to get the best of him and had begun researching Misty's family.

'Maybe she found the ball in her house,' Gary mused, pulling up the Cerulean City homepage. Typing in "Waterflowers" he found a link that led to the Cerulean City Gym's homepage. Moving through the page, he spotted a note saying that if challengers were interested in learning more about the gym leader(s) in residence to click the provided link. Gary did so and found nothing. Determined to find something, he began searching through the town's newspaper – _Cerulean City Tribune_ – for anything mentioned in past issues on Misty and her family. What he found had his jaw threatening to drop. Apparently, her mother had passed away when Misty was only eight, leaving her father to take care of her and her three older sisters. Of course, this didn't last long when her father abruptly left, leaving the gym, his Pokémon, and his daughters to their own fates. Thankfully, a distant relative had stepped up to the plate and taken care of Misty and her sisters until the oldest girl – Daisy – had turned eighteen, then said relative had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. Daisy, Lily, and Violet had taken over the gym, but hadn't done much to improve the gym's reputation, more interested in water ballet than actual Pokémon battling. Of course, when Misty took over the gym six years ago, she had made drastic changes, and now she and her sisters had formed an alliance – battles for most of the year, with time also given for various water ballets.

Gary frowned; apparently, Misty had not had the easiest life, and yet to come out as she had was, for lack of a better description, awesome. Gary himself had never known his parents, but May had, and although he hadn't learnt much over the years he knew that his parents were on a yacht somewhere, not caring about their two children. Selfish bastards. For Misty to know both parents, to lose them in the span of a year, then be raised by her sisters and a distant relative whose name was not even mentioned was interesting, and said a lot about her character.

"Whatcha doing, Gary?" May chirped, popping up behind her brother. Gary jumped and, glaring at May motioned with his head to the newspaper article he had found, detailing the Waterflowers' history.

May read the story, frowning as she took in what she was seeing. "Damn, that's rough."

Gary nodded. "I know, and this brings up another good question – if Misty and her sisters live together at the gym, then why didn't they call the police? Or, better yet, do they even know?"

"You know," May said, her eyes narrowing. "You and I both got some kind of invitation in the mail a few months ago. Grandpa and Tracey got 'em too, but while they both went, I decided to stay behind to take care of the lab."

"And I was in Hoenn studying water Pokémon, so of course I didn't know about the invitation," Gary realized, putting the pieces together. "Those invitations are important in trying to understand just what the hell is going on. Do you still have them?"

"I think so; I'd have to go and look," May said, moving past Gary and typing in something. Ignoring Gary's question of what she was doing May brought up an electronic phonebook and scrolled down to the end of it.

"I have Daisy's number," May said, ignoring Gary's angry question of why he didn't know. "We can call her later and see what's up. In case you're wondering why I have Daisy Waterflower's number, we met at a Pokémon Contest and exchanged numbers to keep in touch and talk about fashion and Pokémon fashion."

"You're serious?" Gary asked after a moment of silence. "You've had the number of one of Misty's sisters and you never thought to mention it?"

"You never asked."

Gary face palmed and groaned. Damn it, he was smarter than this, and to be outwitted by his sister was, well, humiliating. Gary soon exited the internet, printed out a copy of May's electronic phonebook and pocketed it, intending to look at it more closely later. Turning around, Gary saw that Misty was still researching Pokéballs on her Pokédex.

"Where did she get that Pokédex?" Gary asked his sister quietly, trying to make sure that Misty hadn't heard him.

May shrugged. "I gave it to her. I figured it'd help her out, considering that she's basically a rookie trainer now."

"Good thinking."

"I know. Aren't I a genius?"

Gary rolled his eyes at his sister, who shot him a lopsided grin in reply. They watched as Misty's eyes lit up, having found what she was looking for, and after a few minutes, they saw Misty shutting down her Pokédex.

"Hey guys, can we see which Pokémon I have?" Misty asked, excitement lacing her words.

Gary and May shared a look before replying, "Sure." Gary got up out of his chair – Swablu still perched on his shoulder – and headed for the table where the six small balls sat, May on his heels. As soon as the two Oaks were standing near the table, Gary picked up a ball and said, "Okay, to enlarge the ball, press this small button here." Demonstrating, Gary then said, "You press the same button again if you want to miniaturize it. That way, you can carry them on your belt or in a bag more easily."

Misty nodded, determination shining in her eyes. Gary glanced at May and placed the ball he had been using back on the table then, looking at Misty said, "Your turn."

Misty nodded again and, slowly reaching towards the table took the same ball that Gary had been using – the Net Ball – and enlarged it, silently admiring how much clearer the design looked. Then, looking at her cousins for reassurance that they'd step in if something went horribly wrong (which Misty sincerely hoped wouldn't happen) she said, "Let's go. Go, Pokéball!"

Rather than throw it as other trainers would do, Misty merely held the ball out in front of her and a bright white light filled the lab, causing Misty to shut her eyes. Gary and May, both used to the light, merely stood in the background, each anxious to see which Pokémon Misty had on her.

When the white light subsided, Misty found herself staring into the confused face of a rather large water turtle that looked familiar... "Blastoise?"

Blastoise's black eyes fell on his trainer and, smiling (or as much as a large water turtle could) moved towards his trainer but stopped when he saw that something was different about her. The way that she had said his name... it unnerved him. She wasn't her usual confident self, but she had sounded... nervous? Confused? Whatever she had said, it unnerved Blastoise. The large turtle cocked his head to the side, taking in his trainer's stance. She was nervous and excited, but there was no hint of the confidence that he was so used to seeing.

"Blastoise?" Blastoise asked his eyes narrowing as he looked at his trainer.

Misty blinked, taking in what her Pokémon had asked. "Well, um, I don't know what to say, except the truth. I have amnesia."

"Blast? Blastoise?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I'm telling the truth, considering that all I know about you is that you're one of my Pokémon and that you're a Blastoise. But, you don't look the same as Gary's Blastoise."

Blastoise tilted his head and said, "Blast?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, Gary's Blastoise has a black shell and dark green eyes, while you look like the one in my Pokédex."

"That would be because not all Pokémon have different coloring. In fact, it is rare for Pokémon to have a different color scheme compared to the rest of their species," Gary said his sapphire eyes observing Misty's Blastoise, noticing that he (Blastoise) was doing the same.

"Oh," Misty said, her eyes turning back to Blastoise. Sending a small smile at the large water turtle she said, "Well, even though I'm not the same Misty from before I lost my memory, I'll try and be a good trainer, all right?"

Blastoise regarded his trainer for a moment before sneaking a look at the brown-haired man, who seemed to be unusually focused on his trainer. 'I thought that my trainer was engaged to the black-haired trainer?' Resolving to bring that fact up later, Blastoise nodded and without warning hugged his trainer, making sure not to crush her. That would not be good.

Misty grinned. 'One down, five more to go.'

After Blastoise had released her, Misty shot a grin at her cousins, both of whom grinned in reply. Interesting how she had a Blastoise, but considering that she ran a water-Pokémon gym it wasn't all that surprising. The next two Pokémon, however, were.

In quick order, Misty had released two more Pokémon, one out of the regular Pokéball and the other from the Repeat Ball. When the white light had faded, Misty was facing two small Pokémon who were about the same size as Gary's black and yellow Pokémon... wait, Umbreon and Jolteon (she had looked them up on her Pokédex earlier). One of them had a dark blue body with a tail that looked similar to a mermaid's tail, complete with what appeared to be ridging and/or scales. There also appeared to be a bright yellow scar criss-crossing this Pokémon's face, going from its left eye to its nose.

The other Pokémon had a dark blue body – very similar to the first one – but its ears, instead of being in the shape of fins (for lack of a better word) were rather large and were all dark blue, with the tips a light blue. Its eyes were a light blue as well, reminding Misty of an iceberg for some odd reason.

"Vaporeon?" asked one of the Pokémon – the one with the mermaid's tail – said, her dark blue eyes looking around.

"Glace, Glaceon," the other one answered, her own light blue eyes landing on Misty. "Glaceon!"

Misty watched as the two Pokémon both turned to face her and, in an instant found them perched on her shoulders, both of them butting their heads against her playfully.

"I'm impressed, Misty," May said, leaning against a metal counter. "You have two of the eight Eevee evolution branches, which is pretty remarkable considering how rare they are."

"Eevee?" Misty asked, subconsciously reaching up to scratch the two Pokémon behind their ears, getting what sounded like purrs in response.

May nodded and, reaching for a Pokéball at her waist released a small creature that was about the same size as the two balanced on Misty's shoulders. However, this one had a dark brown body with tufts of cream-colored fur around its neck and on the tip of its tail. Its dark brown eyes regarded the people in the room before yawning and lying down.

"Nice Eevee, sis," Gary sniggered, not trying to hide his amusement.

May glared at her brother before reaching down and picking up her Eevee, who licked her cheek in response. Turning to Misty she said, "This is Eevee, and due to its unstable molecular structure, Eevee can involve in one of seven different ways. There are five special stones that can be used; two of which gave you your evolutions – Vaporeon and Glaceon. The other "Stone Evolutions" are Jolteon, whom Gary has, Flareon, and Leafeon. The other two evolutions – Espeon and Umbreon – come into being when an Eevee has a really close bond with its trainer and evolves at a certain time of day. Espeon is the result of evolution during the morning and day, and Umbreon is from a nighttime evolution. Gary has Umbreon."

"So, if it's rare for at trainer to have two Eevee evolutions, then how come both Gary and I have two each?" Misty asked, absently noticing that Glaceon had moved to the top of her head and was taking swings at Vaporeon, who was ignoring its sibling.

Gary looked uncomfortable, but before he could answer Vaporeon and Glaceon suddenly jumped off their trainer's shoulder and head respectively and began wrestling on the floor, causing the three trainers to stare incredulously. Misty turned to her Blastoise and asked, "Do they do this all the time?"

"Blastoise, Toise, Blast, Blastoise," Blastoise responded, moving forward to grip each Eevee evolution by the scruff of their neck and breaking them apart.

"So, it's a twin thing, then?' Misty asked, getting a nod in response. Looking at each of her Eevee evolutions Misty said, "I know you guys do this regularly, but I don't know you guys as well as I used to, so I need you all to be good for a while. Can you do that?"

Vaporeon and Glaceon glanced at each other and after a minute of silent conversation turned to their trainer and nodded, and after a minute Blastoise placed the evolutions on the floor.

"Vaporeon? Vapor?" Vaporeon asked, cocking her head to the side, her sister following suit.

"Yeah, I don't remember anything about you guys beyond the fact that you're part of my team," Misty responded, kneeling and looking into both evolutions' eyes. "I promise to try to be a good trainer for you guys."

"Glaceon, Glace, Glace, Glaceon," Glaceon said, titling her head to the side.

Misty grinned and, scratching both evolutions behind their ears responded, "Yes, I promise to act as official referee between your disputes rather than have Blastoise do it. And yes, I promise to let you guys meet Gary's Eevee evolutions."

"Who said they'd agree to meet them?" Gary asked, clearly amused with Misty and her assumptions. "Zap and Umbreon are picky; they won't just agree to see anyone."

May cracked up. Shooting his sister an irritated glare Gary continued, "Well, maybe not as picky as, say, my Zangoose, but they're still cautious about meeting anyone new." At that moment, Zap and Umbreon appeared in a flash of white light, with Zap running over to Misty and rubbing his head against her legs, commenting that he was glad that she was okay. Umbreon rolled her eyes and trotted over to the twin evolutions, and within minutes, they were talking about the idiots that were the opposite gender.

"What were you saying just now, Gary?" Misty asked, a grin overtaking her face as she knelt and scratched underneath Zap's chin, the electric-type purring in contentment.

Gary mumbled underneath his breath before saying, "The whole world's against me. That's what I said." Gary glared at his Eevee evolutions, both of whom were ignoring him, and watched as they coaxed May's Eevee to join them. Eevee jumped down from May's arms and began talking with Vaporeon, Glaceon, and Umbreon, asking them if he could join in the conversation. After the three females consulted for a moment, they agreed and soon the subject changed to Eevee's asking the other evolutions how they evolved. Zap, Gary noted somewhat enviously, was still near Misty, and had somehow managed to get Misty to pick him up. The electric-type Pokémon was clearly enjoying himself, if his purring was any sign.

After a few minutes, Misty put Zap on the ground and, reaching for her two Lure Balls moved away from the gathering of Eevee evolutions and, taking a deep breath released their tenants. In a flash of bright light a Pokémon resembling a star and a water mouse appeared, each of them looking around warily. Catching sight of their trainer, they moved towards Misty, both obviously glad that she was okay.

"Starmie, Star!" commented the Pokémon whom Misty saw was a Starmie. However, unlike regular Starmie, this one was royal purple and had a dull yellow gem instead of a bright red one.

"Marill, Marill," commented the water mouse, who Misty surmised was a Marill, who was colored the same as in her Pokédex.

"Aren't you cute!" Misty said, kneeling and catching Marill as she launched herself into her trainer's arms. Making sure to not leave Starmie out, Misty began petting the star-shaped Pokémon, the latter tilting its head out of happiness.

Gary tilted his head as he saw the Marill, and, leaning towards May asked, "Didn't that Marill evolve from the Azurill that Tracey gave her?"

May looked surprised. "How'd you know?"

Gary shrugged. "Trace and I have gotten closer in the past few years, and from your answer I would like to think that I'm right."

"How are you two?" Misty asked her two Pokémon, and upon hearing their questions responded, "Yeah, I know I sound weird, but like I told the others I've got amnesia, meaning that I don't really remember you. But, I promise to do all I can to be a good trainer."

"Starmie, Star, Star," Starmie said, its yellow gem flickering in a type of code. Misty titled her head, not quite understanding her Pokémon's odd attempt at communication, but once Marill translated, Misty grinned. Here was a way to get an edge over her opponents.

As Misty got to her feet, she glanced at the table where the last Pokéball remained, the "M" on the Masterball seemingly taunting her. Gathering her courage (after all, who knew what that ball contained?), Misty picked up the ball and, taking a deep breath released the tenant of the Masterball.

Misty found herself staring into the dark green eyes of a large bird, complete with dark blue feathers, white talons and a white beak. The bird tilted her head and, moving closer to her trainer rubbed her head against Misty's arm, asking to be stroked. Misty obliged and stroked the bird's face, earning soft chirps of thanks.

Gary and May's jaws just about dropped to the floor. How the hell had Misty gotten such a rare Pokémon?!

"Misty, how in the hell did you get an Articuno?" May asked her eyes taking in the beautiful ice bird.

Misty shrugged and, looking at her cousins replied, "I don't know. Why don't you guys tell me?"

Gary watched Misty and Articuno and realized that there was still a lot he didn't know about Misty Waterflower, and he was determined to find out all he could about her, even if it meant taking the time to dig around in her backpack some more. Discreetly, of course, as May would kill him if she caught him snooping in Misty's things, and Gary really didn't want to see what Misty's Pokémon would do to him if he was caught...


	26. Nightmares

**Disclaimer:** … I've only collected two hundred dollars, but I need two thousand to get my team out of the slammer; this is not going to be easy…

**A/N:** I am so ecstatic! This is my second update in roughly three to four weeks; that's a record! I've been on a roll with my writing; all that pent up creative energy's finally found an outlet! This chapter examines not only our hero and heroine a bit more, but we see some more characters that will make their appearances soon... They forced their way into the story; couldn't be stopped. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 26: Nightmares**

_**1:15 AM, May 18, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Misty tossed and turned, sweat glistening on her skin. Her mind was practically screaming, voices sounding everywhere, and she wondered what she could do to alleviate the pain. As she turned over, she yelped in surprise as she fell off her bed, ending up with the sheets tangled around her legs.

"What happened?" Misty groaned her head pounding. Getting to her feet, she opened the door to her room and slowly walked down the hall, heading for the bathroom that May had shown her earlier. She hoped that there was some kind of medicine in there to stop her headache, or at least lessen the amount of pain.

As Misty opened the door to the bathroom, she flipped on the lights and had to blink a few times to allow her eyes time to adjust. Moving to the medicine cabinet, she opened it and silently cheered upon seeing a bottle of Advil© in front of her. Popping open the lid, she took two out and, swallowing them dry couldn't help but think of the dream, or rather nightmare, that had scared her so much…

FLASHBACK

_Misty was running through a dark forest, dressed in just a blue hospital gown. She could hear the pounding of feet and the breaking of tree branches behind her; they weren't far away, and she had to escape. Suddenly, she saw the entrance to a cave and, without thinking ran into it, believing that she was safe surrounded by stone walls. _

"_You fell right into my trap, my dear."_

_Misty's head jerked up in surprise but before she could say anything she found herself strapped to a cold, hard, metal table, and no matter how much she struggled to get free she couldn't. "What are you doing?! Once he finds out…"_

_A dark laugh came from above her and Misty looked up into a cold, hard face that sneered at her. "Yes, well, you'll find that _he_ is just a little bit incapacitated at the moment."_

"_No!"_

"_Oh, yes, my dear. Yes indeed."_

_Misty's vision gave way to the darkness where, after a few minutes, her eyes opened to a field full of flowers. She looked around but only found fields upon fields of red roses, white violets, narcissi (the plural of narcissus), orange mock, forget-me-nots, bittersweet, freesia, white heather, and blue hyacinth. _

"_Wow, so many different kinds of flowers," Misty murmured, leaning down and picking up some bittersweet. As soon as she touched them, she paused, seeing a multitude of images in her mind. There was Gary, but he was in a car with what appeared to be at least ten, uh, "well-endowed" women, all of whom were chanting his name, some with pom-poms in their hands. She then saw Gary with his Umbreon, telling two other males, one with dark skin and brown hair and the other with pale skin and black, messy hair that he'd changed and was different, and that he'd see them around. He then walked off, waving good-bye with one hand, not looking back. _

'_What's going on? Gary never told me about this!'_

_She then saw a younger version of herself talking to three women, one with yellow hair, one with pink, and one with violet. 'Those are my sisters, Daisy, Lily, and Violet, but why are they telling me that I'll never amount to anything? Gary and May told me that they knew that I was an accomplished gym leader and that they were proud of me…'_

_Then the scene shifted to the messy black-haired man from her second "vision", this time with a yellow mouse on his shoulder. He was talking to her animatedly, his arms waving around wildly before they wrapped them around her shoulders. 'What's going on? Who is he?'_

_The image of her with the black-haired man's arms around her faded to that of her talking to a large group of people, her auburn hair hanging down her back in waves, with the same black-haired man from the previous image on her left, his head nodding in agreement with her words. Then, all of a sudden, the windows burst open and glass rained everywhere. Misty ducked and covered her head, but still felt the glass shards cut her hands, the iron smell of blood invading her nose in a matter of seconds. She could hear the black-haired man giving orders, but his voice was abruptly cut off when he landed next to her, his breathing shallow and blood leaking from a long slash on his arm and what appeared to be rapidly darkening bruises on his chest._

"_Miss Waterflower, I'm so glad that you could join us," came the same cruel voice from earlier in her dreams, but before she could say anything she was back to running in the dark woods, the sounds of broken branches following her and no moon to be seen. However, instead of taking refuge in the cave, she ran past it and into a pair of strong, warm arms that were somehow made of white heather and blue hyacinth. _

"_Don't worry, Mist, I'll save you. I'll _always_ save you."_

_Misty looked up, and just as she was about to see the face of the person (or creature; she wasn't sure which) who made her feel so safe and warm the image shattered. She found herself falling into a black void, and when she blinked, she found herself back at the beginning of the dream, running for her life._

FLASHBACK ENDS

Misty splashed some water on her face. 'What does that dream mean?! I've had it no less than five times tonight, and each time just makes it harder and harder to figure it out. Maybe May'll know.'

Misty went to leave the bathroom, but before she could do so, a jolt of pain went through her, causing her to cry out. Kneeling on the cool tile she held her head as she saw the nightmare repeat again; this time, however, she was awake. 'Can, can that even be possible? I mean, don't dreams and nightmares happen when people sleep and not when they're awake?!'

After a few minutes, the pain subsided and Misty slowly got to her feet, clutching the bathroom sink for support. Clutching her head, she moaned. "Okay, maybe I need to get some more sleep first before I talk to May."

Misty stepped out of the bathroom but having her eyes closed meant that she ran into something hard.

"You okay?" came a voice and Misty looked up, seeing the worried eyes of her cousin.

"Yeah, I'm fine; well, sorta. I had this really weird nightmare, and even had it while I was awake, and I was just wondering if you had any idea about what it meant."

"Well, it might make more sense to me if I knew what it was you were talking about," replied Misty's cousin and without warning reached down and picked Misty up, carrying her bridal style to her bedroom, where Misty was gently placed on her bed.

As Misty recounted her dream, she watched her cousin's eyes, seeing the varied emotions that ran through them. As she finished, she felt herself getting sleepy. Her cousin, noting this, told her to go to sleep and as she did so, Misty felt a hand gently tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

As Misty drifted off into sleep, her cousin strode out of her room and, shutting the door leaned against it and slid to the floor, cradling his head in his hands. 'Damn it, she's remembering things about her past. She remembered me when I was an arrogant ten-year old; when her sisters put her down and told her that she'd never amount to anything; when I told Brock, Ash, and her that I'd changed; even when Ash first asked her to go out on a date! Then, that last image, well, that last event had to be when she was kidnapped. What confuses me are the fields of flowers; and, how she was able to remember them all. Then, there were those images with the cruel voices and the fear…'

"What is going on?!" Gary was so frustrated that he didn't even pause to think about how he had tucked a piece of Misty's hair behind her ear, a motion usually bound to the relationships of parent and child, or lovers/spouses. The latter category, in and of itself, should have bothered him the most, considering that Misty was an engaged woman and he was supposed to be her cousin, but oddly enough that didn't even bug him. Gary's action had felt completely natural, which was why it didn't bother him. Not that he realized this, of course; he was focusing all of his energy on trying to figure out Misty's nightmare, but when the action came back to haunt him Gary would discover just why he had done what he did…

_**1:50 AM, May 18, 2005; Office of the Master Elder, Undisclosed Location**_

The Master Elder grumbled underneath his breath as he filled out paperwork. Honestly, it wasn't enough that he had to deal with the failure of Butch and Cassidy in their mission to bring back his missing… pet, but he also had to deal with that pesky relationship developing between former gym leaders Falkner and Whitney. Honestly, couldn't Falkner just keep his hands off her, and Whitney her hands out of his pockets? No, he supposed not. Still, this was not to be tolerated; he'd have to make an example of them the next day. Of course, there was always the chance he could assign them to do his paperwork, leaving him free to train his protégée… but no. Too risky to let those fools look at papers as important as the ones he was studying now. Even if it was one thirty in the morning, paperwork was a never-ending problem, and the Master Elder hated it with a passion.

Without warning, the door to his office slammed open, and a rather well built young man with bright blue hair and black eyes ran in. Bowing, the man didn't wait for the Master Elder's permission to rise and, standing up and said, "Sire, I have terrible news. Norman Maple is not here."

"What?!" The Master Elder stood up and slammed his hands on his desk, his dark emerald eyes glittering with rage. "Explain."

"I was looking through the reports of all of my fellow agents, sire, when I noticed that one of the notes was not filed properly. I went to check it and noticed that it hand-written in pencil, not typed, and the penmanship was sloppy and unrefined. Taking a closer look at it, I realized that it was a fake, stating that Norman Maple was a field agent and had been sent to the Kanto Region. I checked in with every field agent in Kanto and none of them had heard of the message, much less seen the man. I thought that you would like to know this, sire."

The Master Elder was furious; no, he was beyond furious! How dare that… that… man not be present? He had double-checked the documents in question after he had taken those fools from the Hoenn Region captive and Norman Maple had been present. So, the question that remained was: Did Norman somehow escape like his red-haired pet had done, or had he been present at the conference but somehow escaped? If it was the latter, then who in the hell tried to fool him?!

"Agent Brawley, I thank you for your loyalty. You will be rewarded in due time."

"Sir, yes sir!" Brawley replied, bowing again before leaving the office. The Master Elder, meanwhile, sat down behind his desk once again and, muttering curses under his breath reached underneath the desk and pressed a series of small buttons, which had the effect of summoning one of his best agents with all due haste.

Within a few minutes, said agent walked into his office and, kneeling said, "Sire, what can I do for you?"

The Master Elder folded his hands together and, staring at the agent replied, "I have a task for you, my loyal and trustworthy agent."

The agent nodded and, after receiving the mission bowed once more and left the office, the door closing quietly. The Master Elder sat back and, folding his hands again thought, 'If my agent cannot fix this nightmare with Norman Maple, then nothing will save either one of them from my wrath. Nothing at all.'

_**2:05 AM, May 18, 2005; Phenac City, Orre Region**_

Rui Orre (yes, she knew that her husband's name was a bit strange, but then her maiden name Ska hadn't been much better) opened her ice blue eyes to find that her husband of two years was tossing and turning, his silver hair in disarray. Sighing, she reached over and lightly touched his shoulder, not surprised when he stiffened under her touch before relaxing.

"Which nightmare was it this time?" Rui asked, already running the known ones through her mind. There was the nightmare where a group of bandits kidnapped Wes as a child, torturing him for a week before the local police found him, or the nightmare where Cipher stole him then experimented on him for pure amusement. There was also the one where he had been facing Evice and had been severely burned, saved only by his Suicune's Water Gun attack; or the nightmare where she had been kidnapped… actually, Rui decided that one was not worth remembering; it hadn't been that long ago and it still had an effect on her.

Wes sat up and, looking at his wife replied, "It was entirely new. Something I've never seen before."

"What was it about?"

"That's just it; I can't remember."

"You can't be serious?"

"I am; want me to spell it out for you?"

"Calm down, Wes. I'm just in shock that you can't remember the dream at all."

"Actually, from what I do remember, it was more of a nightmare."

"A nightmare? Well, do you remember anything from it?"

Wes' molten gold eyes fell on his long, royal blue duster that was draped over a nearby chair and, reaching over pulled out his P DA and, flipping it open went to the newly installed map function, something he had had imported from the Sinnoh Region. Pulling up maps of the other known regions, he gave it to Rui and said, "From what I remember, this region kept popping up again and again, which means that I should probably go there."

Rui looked up and, glaring at Wes replied, "What's this 'I should probably go'? I'm coming with you."

"No."

"Yes, Wes, and that's final. You are not leaving me behind again while you run off and play hero."

"I do not play hero," Wes growled, eyes flashing angrily.

Rui crossed her arms. "Really? Who ran off and defended the newly built Gateon Port from a band of renegade Cipher team members and left half of his Pokémon and his wife here without any warning?"

"That was a one-time thing!" Wes didn't like to be reminded of that incident. Yes, he had successfully defended Gateon Port, but in the process, he had ended up severely burned by an enemy's Shadow Quilava, and if not for his Suicune's quick thinking, he may have ended up with one less arm.

"Sure, and how about when there were rumors of more Shadow Pokémon showing up in Pyrite Town and The Under? Who went there with just Entei and Raikou and almost ended up getting seriously injured again?"

Wes winced. Damn, he had been hoping that she hadn't known about that. The incident hadn't been pretty; hell, his semi-friend and rival Cane had had to come and rescue him when a section of the tunnel near the rust bucket that had served as the main entrance to The Under for years had almost collapsed. He had been lucky to escape with his life, not to mention both legs, as rusted iron beams had trapped his legs. Wes had stayed in Pyrite Town, recovering from the near disaster for two days, and upon returning home had decided not to tell his wife what had happened. Apparently, she had found out.

Wes sighed. "Fine; you can come with me. But, you have to be careful, all right?"

Rui snorted, something that Wes always found mildly amusing, as she often scolded him for snorting, but she did it as well, and replied, "I'm not the one who almost always gets hurt going out on rescue missions." Her expression softening, Rui continued, "Besides, I can take care of myself; you know that."

Wes merely nodded his head, and replied, "Fine. We'll leave as soon as possible for the Kanto Region with all of our Pokémon and equipment; this afternoon, if possible." As Rui fell asleep, Wes couldn't help but think that something bad was going to happen; he just knew it.

_**3:45 AM, May 18, 2005; Fifteen miles outside of Cherrygrove City, Johto Region**_

"Wake up!"

A young man about twenty-five years old suddenly sat up, his heart racing. His girlfriend sighed and gently felt his forehead. "Are you okay?"

The man breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down before opening his green eyes and replying, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

She rolled her eyes before curling up beside him, wrapping both their blankets around them. "You had that dream again, didn't you?"

"What dream?"

"Come off it, Green. Red swears that he heard you tossing and turning when you two were off on your so-called "male-bonding camping trip" and that you looked horrible the next day."

"Guess we know who secretly dreams of being a gossip queen, huh?" Green looked away from his girlfriend, running a hand through his cinnamon locks. "It's not that easy to talk about, Blue."

"Why not? You know you can talk about anything you want with me, right?"

Green stared up at the stars for a moment before turning to Blue and, looking into her eyes replied, "I know, but… it's just that, this dream is telling me something, I know it, but I can't even begin to interpret it. It's like the answer's right in front of me, but I can't grasp it."

"What's it about?" Blue tucked a stray piece of light brown hair behind her ear, once more cursing herself for not getting her hair trimmed earlier that month. It was entirely too long now, even for her.

"I see this guy – and no, not in that way – and he's standing in front of me, his hand outstretched, as if offering me his friendship, but when I go to reach for it the hand fades away, as if it wasn't there. Then, I see the same guy, but this time he's surrounded by a lot of people, one of whom looks disturbingly similar to Red, but there's a ring of fire surrounding them. I try to reach them, but before I can the image dissolves as a mouth full of teeth appears and swallows the guy and an orange or red-haired woman whole, their screams all that's left behind."

Blue, rather than replying right away chose to move closer to Green, taking comfort in his strength. That dream was dead scary, and she was afraid of what it meant. Blue herself may not be a total expert at dream interpretation, but she knew enough about it to realize that Green's future was destined to be full of obstacles, all of which could very well affect their futures, and possibly his life.

"I think that we need to get the others in on it," Blue continued, ignoring Green's outraged look. "Look, from the sounds of your dream, the future's going to be rough, and we're going to need all of the help we can get. Don't argue; you know that it's true."

Green muttered under his breath before giving up and, resting his head on Blue's head replied, "Fine. We'll get in contact with them tomorrow. I hope you know what you're doing."

Blue didn't reply, but as she drifted off to sleep again she thought, 'So do I.'


	27. Problems

**Disclaimer:** Alright, I've found five hundred dollars; collecting the needed amount is slow but steady. Hopefully my team's being taken care of properly…

**A/N:** … Well, I know it's been a while, but at least it hasn't been 6 full months... Life has been irrevocably insane on my end; this has been done for months but I just hadn't found time to update this until now… Anyway… back to our hero and heroine. The title of the chapter is self-explanatory, so I'll not give anything away. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 27: Problems**

_**1:15 pm, May 29, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

A little over a week had passed since Misty had had the odd dream (more like a nightmare, she kept reminding herself) and she had come leaps and bounds with her training… at least, that's what she thought. May and Gary had been taking turns teaching her different battle strategies, along with giving her basic introductory lessons on everything dealing with Pokémon, both of them working fanatically to get her back to the level she was supposed to be at, considering that she was a gym leader… technically. Misty found it irritating that she was supposed to be this star gym leader, one of the youngest and smartest ever, but she had no memory of it, or of her Pokémon beyond their names at all… which, of course, pissed her off even more.

She was currently training with Vaporeon in a small area of the homestead that had a rather large lake, surrounded by green, grassy hills. She enjoyed the scenery, as did Vaporeon, but right now her attention was focused on her opponent. May's Shuckle, currently hiding inside his shell in a Withdraw attack, was upping his defense while Vaporeon sat silently in front of her trainer, eyes warily watching her vic – ah, opponent.

May was watching Misty as well, eyes narrowed in thought. This was going to be interesting; Misty had been growing in leaps and bounds with her training, which got both her and her brother thinking that maybe her memories were starting to return to her… slowly. Of course, the downside to this happy development would be the fact that Misty would learn of Gary's deception… and would most certainly beat him senseless, and Gary would let her, letting his guilt take over instead of arrogance. Stupid little brother.

"Ice Beam!" Misty shouted and May jolted back to reality when she saw a crackling beam of ice heading directly for her Shuckle, who had just reemerged from his shell.

"Shit! Shuckle, use Protect!" Shuckle barely got his shield up in time, and even then the shield barely held, the ice beam's assault taking a toll on Shuckle's strength. The Bug and Rock-type groaned and May was beginning to get worried; since when was Misty's Vaporeon so powerful?! Hell, she had battled it a few days ago and the ice beam's strength had been minimal at best, comparable to a rookie trainer who had just beat Lt. Surge of Vermillion City, and now it was matching one of Gary's ice beams from his Nidoking! Something was going on here, and May was determined to find out what.

_**2:15 pm, May 29, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Meanwhile, Gary was looking through as many articles as he could find that dealt with missing trainers over the past few months, and printing any pertinent information that he found. 'Gramps isn't going to be pleased with all of the ink and paper that I'm using…'

Gary's eyes narrowed as he clicked on a link to the _Slateport City Times_ from Slateport City in the Hoenn Region. As he glanced through the pages of the paper, he came across an article titled "Conference to be held at Slateport Conference Center on February 12, 2005. Top trainers rumored to be attending."

"Perfect," Gary murmured as he clicked the print button and listened to the inkjet printer spit out the three-page article. Moving backwards, he continued scanning through the paper's archives in hopes of finding more information. However, the sound of a door slamming caught his attention and, panicking he shut down the computer, grabbed the numerous pages and stuffed them into a random vanilla folder, which he then tossed into a computer drawer. All this he accomplished in the span of a minute (a new record) before flinging himself into a chair and taking out a book on Pokémon Breeding just as Misty and May came into the lab.

"I won!" Misty exclaimed, Vaporeon prancing in after her trainer. May came behind, shaking her head ruefully, and carrying a dazed Shuckle.

"Congrats, Mist," Gary said, placing a bookmark in the book to keep up the pretense that he had been reading and not doing anything else (May gave him a knowing glance).

"It was so cool! Vaporeon's Ice Beam just cut through Shuckle's Protect like it was nothing!" Misty explained, reaching down to pick up Vaporeon. The water-type purred as Misty scratched her behind her fin-like ear before Vaporeon jumped down to trot over to a plate of Pokémon chow that May had placed down on the floor, her Shuckle already eating. Misty palmed her forehead, scolding herself for forgetting to get food for Vaporeon, who was definitely hungry after the intense training she had just finished.

"Her Ice Beam's gotten fifty times more powerful since we started training," May commented, glancing up when the book Gary was holding fell to the ground.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," May replied, her eyes glancing into Gary's own.

"What's so odd about that?" Misty asked, narrowing her eyes. Something fishy as going on and she was determined to find out what.

"Well, uh," May began but Gary interrupted her, moving to grab a sheaf of papers off a nearby table.

"What's odd, Mist, is that an Ice Beam of the power and intensity as was fired at Shuckle is the sign of a high-level Pokémon responding to a trainer's wishes. Your Vaporeon, while powerful on her own, has not had an Ice Beam that powerful before today during training sessions, correct?"

"Yeah," Misty replied slowly, not seeing the point that Gary was trying to make.

"Well, that just shows that you, as a trainer, are growing exponentially in strength and experience, all of which are passed along to your Pokémon, making both you and them stronger. That's why Vaporeon's Ice Beam was so powerful that it was able to force Shuckle's Protect to fade and eventually buckle."

"That's so cool," Misty mused, bending down to scratch Vaporeon behind her fin-ear once more. "Where'd you learn all that?"

Gary shrugged. "I'm training to become a Pokémon Professor like Gramps, so it comes with the territory. In fact, I was in Hoenn before coming back here, doing a study on water Pokémon."

"Really?!" Misty exclaimed, her interest instantly piqued by the mention of water Pokémon.  
"What were you studying?"

"I was studying the evolution of water Pokémon and whether or not they evolved faster based on the type of water they lived in and its level of pollution," Gary said, smirking when Misty's eyes lit up. 'Well, it seems as if her interest in learning all she can about water Pokémon is coming back, and quickly.'

"What did you find out?" Misty demanded and pretty soon the two young trainers were discussing the topic enthusiastically, with Gary filling in blanks in knowledge that he knew the "old" Misty would have known while May watched, amused.

'This is interesting. Gary's never been this involved in a discussion on Pokémon before now, and it's gratifying to see that my little brother hasn't lost _all_ of his intelligence.'

As the argument increased, May watched, pleased to see that Misty, even though she didn't have all of her memories back was able to keep up with Gary. She even went so far as to ask a few questions that had the young Pokémon Professor scrambling to find answers in nearby encyclopedias and Pokémon journals, a smirk fleeting across his face as he did so, obviously enjoying the "friendly" spat.

After a few minutes, May decided to go upstairs and look through her CD collection for something to listen to while she unwound, leaving the two arguing trainers to their own devices. Training Misty and keeping Gary's secret were starting to take their toll on her. She figured that Gary and Misty were going to be arguing for a while yet.

May took the stairs two steps at a time from the basement that housed her grandfather's laboratory and made her way into the living room. Kneeling in front of a CD Tower, she began looking for a good CD but groaned when the doorbell rang. Cursing under her breath, she walked towards the front door, groaning even more when the bell rang multiple times.

"I'm coming; geez, the nerve of some people," May yelled then muttered the last part underneath her breath. Honestly, who would want to come and visit?

"Can I help you?" May asked the visitor and was instantly engulfed into a hug. "Um, Mrs. Ketchum? What's wrong?"

"May… the news, they said that, that, that Ash is missing!" Delia Ketchum was usually a cheerful woman, full of life and energy, a smile perpetually etched onto her face. Now, however, May was caught off guard by the sobbing woman in her arms.

"Uh, Mrs. Ketchum, come with me," May replied as she carefully leading the sobbing woman into the living room, shutting the front door with her foot. "Now, what's wrong?"

"The, the news just said that, that, my Ash is missing, and has, has been missing for weeks!" Delia sobbed, hands covering her eyes.

May was shocked; since when had this happened?! She regularly watched the news once a day and she had never seen any news segment about missing trainers, especially not those like Ash, whom she knew was a top-notch trainer.

"Mrs. Ketchum; Delia, is there anything I can do?" May asked, not knowing what else to say.

Delia opened her mouth to answer when the doorbell rang yet again. Sighing irritably, she went to answer the door but not before handing Delia a box of tissues off a bookshelf (she was always prepared). Reaching the door, she opened it only for her mouth to drop in shock.

"Um, is Professor Oak here?" a young, dark blue-haired man with square glasses perched on his nose asked. The man's black eyes were narrowed in thought, examining the young woman in front of him.

May, not at all pleased to have a total stranger request to see her grandfather decided to be a tad nasty and, leaning against the doorpost responded, "Which one?"

The man's eyes narrowed even further (was that even possible?) before replying, "Professor Samuel Oak, famous Pokémon Researcher and resident Pokémon Haiku expert, also reputed to be _the_ authority on any and all Pokémon."

May rolled her eyes, great, another fan. She was so used to being asked if she had the ability to get autographs for someone who was the number one fan of her grandfather, or who wanted a specially written Pokémon haiku from her grandfather, that this young man's response wasn't interesting.

"He's not here," May responded blandly moving to closer the door, but was surprised when a sneaker-clad foot stopped her from doing so.

"Back off," May growled, not happy that some stranger was being so _insistent_ on talking to her; for all she knew, he could be a stalker of some kind!

"Not until I see Professor Oak!" the man protested.

"I already told you that he's not here!" May shot back her temper starting to get the better of her, overcoming her usually rational personality. Honestly, couldn't he take a hint?!

"Then who is? I really need to talk to someone about finding my sister, who was kidnapped months ago but which I only found about a week ago on the afternoon news! I don't care who you are, but I need to speak to someone who can help me!"

May blinked. "You're sister's missing… wait, just who are you?"

The man unfolded his arms from across his chest (letting May see for the first time the Balance Badge emblazoned on the shirt) before replying, "Max Maple, son of Petalburg City Gym Leader Norman Maple, and my sister May's been kidnapped by the Pokémon Phoenix Hunters. Where have you been, under a rock for the past week?"

"Maple… shit!" May yelped before pulling Max into the house and closing the door. She pushed him into the living room where Delia had seemed to calm down. Looking at Max she said, "Stay here. I'll be right back!"

Max raised an eyebrow as he watched the young woman race out of the room and, shrugging, decided to make himself comfortable. Taking off his stuff he suddenly found a pair of black eyes looking at him. Double taking he said, "Mrs. Ketchum?"

Delia blinked before responded, "Do I know you?"

"It's me, Max. My sis and I traveled with Ash and Brock through Hoenn and later the Battle Frontier."

"Max? My goodness, you've certainly grown!" Delia exclaimed, moving to hug the young man (who was now taller than her). Pulling away she asked, "Where's May?"

Max's smile faded and just as he was about to answer a door slamming caught their attention. Looking towards the entrance to the living room, both were surprised to hear soft cursing followed by the shuffling of feet. A head of spiky cinnamon-colored hair appeared and soon its owner looked up in surprise.

"What's going on here?" Gary asked, eyes moving from a shocked Delia Ketchum to Max Maple.

"G- Gary?" Delia stuttered, not sure if what she was seeing was an illusion.

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Don't you remember me? It's me, Ash's mother," Delia responded, a frown marring her usually cheerful face.

Gary's face remained neutral externally, but inside… well, that was another story. 'Shit! Shit! This was **not** part of the plan… now what?!'

"Wait, you're Gary Oak?" Max interrupted, anger warring in his eyes versus awe.

"So?" Gary was getting sick of monosyllabic answers; then again, it was preferable to being attacked…

"Why are you safe and not May?!" Max raged, launching himself at Gary, causing the young Pokémon professor to land on his back, grappling with a teen whom he didn't know.

"Max!" Delia screamed, reaching forward and yanking Max out of the brawl by the back of his tee shirt. Max, not expecting this lost his balance and crashed to the ground next to Delia, his glasses flying off into a corner.

Gary quickly climbed to his feet and, snarling made to go and teach Max a lesson when Delia put herself in between the two young men.

"Mrs. Ketchum you need to move, now," Gary bit out obviously on edge. Delia stubbornly stood her ground, determined not to let any more fights erupt. Gary internally groaned at the one overarching similarity that mother and son shared – pure stubbornness.

"Gary, I am ashamed of you. You should know better!" Gary opened his mouth to reply but Delia abruptly turned to Max and, pointing a finger at him continued, "And you, Max. You should know better as well, being the son of a gym leader."

Gary's eyebrow rose. 'Interesting.'

Max glared up at Gary from his position on the floor. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't, too focused on trying to find his glasses.

"Here," Delia said, handing the spectacles to Max, who accepted them with a curt nod. Max got to his feet and, glaring at Gary stalked over to the sofa and sat down. Delia sighed; was she ever going to get a break from mediating teenage disputes? Obviously not.

"Max, why did you do that?" Delia asked gently, seating herself next to Max while Gary continued to watch the show play out from his new position close to the door. He was giving himself an escape route… just in case.

"It's not fair that he's here, and May isn't," Max mumbled, sounding as if he was ten years old again. Gary shook his head, feeling bad for the kid but not sure what to do about it. "She was supposed to be safe; then, these stupid Hunters scoop her up like that." Max snapped his fingers to emphasize his point.

Gary's ears perked up at the word "Hunter". "What do you mean, Max?" Gary asked, speaking for the first time directly to the kid in question.

Max glared at Gary again. "Don't you watch the news? The news is all about how famous trainers and professors have been kidnapped recently, and some have been missing for over a year without anyone the wiser."

"You're not serious," Gary said slowly, realizing just how deep a hole he was digging himself in regards to the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters.

"Dead serious," Max responded eyes trained on his sneakers. "I left Petalburg City and my parents to find May, and I chose to come here first to get Professor Oak's help, but he's not here!" Max raised his fist to smash the coffee table but Delia gently grabbed said fist to stop Max from hurting himself.

"Wait, you mean to say that your father's still 'on the outside'?" Gary asked, mind moving quickly in an attempt to figure out a plan.

Max nodded. "Yeah, he had to leave the Slateport City Conference early because of problems at the gym; thank god. If both May and Dad were missing, Mom'd go crazy."

Gary nodded absentmindedly as he began pacing the length of the living room as Delia watched with interest, not quite sure what her son's best friend was doing. Oh wait, that was right…

"Gary?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Why aren't you missing as well?" Delia asked, her tears having long dried out. Max was looking curiously at Gary as well, eager to know why the young professor was "on the outside" as he had so succinctly put it earlier.

Gary stopped to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um, yeah, I was in Hoenn studying Water Pokémon when the invitation came; I actually just got back about two weeks ago."

Max nodded. "Makes sense. May was complaining about some kind of formal invitation before she went and how it required her to bring all of her Pokémon."

"I see," Gary murmured, eyes narrowing in thought. Looking at Max, he thought for a minute before saying, "You need a place to stay for the night?"

Max blinked. "Actually… yeah. Spent the last of my money on food for my Pokémon and myself."

"Cool. You can stay here for the night in one of the spare rooms while I see what I can find out." Gary turned to Delia. "Mrs. Ketchum, are you okay?"

Delia turned her gaze to Gary and replied, "No, Gary, I'm not. I just found out my son's been missing for six months and no one bothered to alert me. I have no clue where he is, if he's even alive, or even if Misty's alright."

Gary kept his face neutral but inside was having another panic attack. 'Shit! Misty's here, and if I don't do something her safety's going to be jeopardized!'

"Do you want to stay here until this dies down?" Gary replied gently, trying to make his best friend's mother feel safe.

"If it's not too much trouble," Delia replied slowly.

"No problem at all! I'm sure May'd be happy to have you here," Gary responded, a genuine smile making its way onto his face. Somehow, Delia Ketchum had always made him feel like he was worth something, especially when he was younger, and it appeared that that hadn't changed.

"I'll go let May know. In the meantime, Mrs. Ketchum, why don't you and Max go and get your stuff and Mimey?"

"Sure. Coming, Max?" Delia asked, turning to the young trainer. Max eyed Gary warily, not sure if he was being tricked, but finally nodded and, grabbing his bag followed Delia out of the house, intent on returning and finding out just what was being hidden in Oak's house.

As soon as Max and Delia left Gary sprinted towards his grandfather's laboratory, praying Misty was still there. Upon entering, he let out a sigh of relief upon seeing May and Misty on the computer, May showing Misty how to access her account if she were in a Pokémon Center (he and May had decided to set up a false account for Misty under the name "Kasumi" to throw off the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters; Misty had agreed with little hesitation).

"May, can I talk to you?" Gary asked, eyes pleading with May to come with him. May cocked an eyebrow but nodded, following Gary into their grandfather's private office. After Gary closed the door he turned and told May what had happened upstairs.

"… You're not serious," May asked her own eyes wide in disbelief.

Gary was pacing, hands running through his hair and creating a large mess in the process. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Well, no, but that's no reason to freak out."

"Who's freaking out?!" Gary retorted, anger lacing his words. "If they find out Misty's here they'll think I'm behind it all and I just can't go through losing my friends again, May. I can't."

"You won't, Gary," May responded, moving to lay a reassuring hand on her brother's shoulder. "They'll understand."

Gary snorted. "Yeah, and what about the fact that she has no clue who her fiancé is, when everyone else does and the fact that she has no cousins, especially not us. Then what?"

May sighed. Why were younger brothers so damn troublesome? "Then we'll tell them the truth, that you told the doctors what you did to make sure that Misty was going to be okay and that you are going to tell her the truth eventually… right?"

Gary looked down, seeming to the world a child about to be scolded. He hesitated a moment then replied, "Yeah, sure. Sounds like a plan." He then opened the office door and slipped out quietly, leaving behind a shocked May. Gods… her little brother was falling in love, and with his best friend's fiancée! What the hell was she going to do now?


	28. Bonding

**Disclaimer:** I've decided to auction off some items in order to raise money to get my team out of jail… at least my team's being taken care of, if only somewhat…

**A/N:** Ai yah! I am so, so sorry that I've not updated this story as often as I should have. Life has been tough as usual but, good news, I'm going to graduate from my undergraduate school! Bad news… graduate school will most likely sap more time that I could use to write. Ah well; so goes life. Anyway… here's chapter 28 and I found this amusing to write; so many characters to keep track of… and not just human. Enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 28: Bonding**

_**9:15 pm, May 29, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

The late dinner that night was a quiet affair. May, while glad to have someone else around who knew how to cook (Gary around a stove without supervision was asking for trouble; he could only do campfires and that sort of grub alone with no nearby forests or timber… and a few buckets of water nearby) knew that anyone could enter the room and, without thinking about it could cut the tension with a knife. Delia was worried about Ash and his lack of communication (angry muttering could also be heard about the news and how if she had the chance she'd do something devastating to them for not letting her know sooner that her Ash was missing). When Gary heard this, he discreetly moved his seat further away from Delia's.

On the other side of the table, Max was morosely moving his food around on his plate while sending hidden glares at Gary. Misty had retired to her room after her afternoon "tutoring session" with the Oaks on Pokémon and hadn't emerged, leading the two Oaks to assume she'd fallen asleep. Gary was beyond ecstatic that he hadn't had to deal with an irate Delia Ketchum and the other kid who seemed to be a ticking time bomb, sure that would have been the results if Misty had chosen to come to dinner.

"Good dinner, Mrs. K.," Gary commented as he got up to take his dishes to the sink.

Delia glanced up and, smiling replied, "Gary, how many times have I told you to call me Delia? Mrs. Ketchum makes me feel so, so old."

Gary chuckled and merely nodded his head in agreement before dumping his dishes into the sink and, moving quickly cleaned them. Then, nodding to the three people still at the table he left the kitchen to head down to his grandfather's lab to check on the Pokémon. May had been complaining that she had been responsible for all of Pallet Town's trainers' Pokémon (or, those Pokémon that hadn't been called away by their trainers) that she was forgetting what it was like to spend time alone. Gary, feeling guilty about dragging his sister into the mess with Misty decided to take over that duty until Misty and he had to leave, which he rather hoped would not occur too soon as he was selfishly enjoying the fact that he was home in Pallet Town again without having to worry about his next assignment.

Stepping into the laboratory, he noticed that the lights were on and looking inside the tiled room smirked. Misty was currently moving around the lab as if she owned it, removing various containers of Pokémon food and tossing them onto a table behind her. On said table were arranged a rather large pile of papers, all with the messy scribbles of his grandfather with feeding schedules and dieting tips for everyone of the Pokémon who had spent even just one night at the laboratory.

"I thought you weren't feeling so hot," Gary questioned, walking into the room. Misty jumped and, spinning around scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"I was, but then I remembered May telling me that as a gym leader I had to take care of all the Pokémon in the gym, which I don't know how to really do yet beyond my own team. So, I figured why not help out here?"

"Noble thought, Red, but the difference between your gym and Grandpa's lab is that there aren't just water-type Pokémon here; there are variations of all 17 types, and each Pokémon is different in his or her own way," Gary explained moving closer. He reached over Misty's shoulder, ignoring her intake of air at his proximity. "See? The container of Pokémon chow you just pulled off the shelf is made especially for fire-types who live in volcanoes, such as my Magmar and the occasional Charizard. If you'd given this to, say, a Voltorb or an Onix something horrible could have happened."

"Oh," Misty murmured, feeling a bit foolish now that she realized the danger she had almost put the Pokémon in. Then, she had an idea. "Why not teach me then?"

"Teach you what?" Gary asked, glancing over at her while he continued removing various containers and bags of Pokémon food and nutrients and placing them onto the table behind him.

"How to take care of various types of Pokémon beyond water-types, just in case," Misty shot back, a sense of challenge soon emerging. "Or can't you do that, cousin-dear?"

Gary stiffened, his ego taking a hit from Misty's comment. Turning to face her he responded, "Not capable of showing you how to take care of various Pokémon types, huh? I'll show you."

With that Gary grabbed Misty's hand (both ignoring the sparks that flew from the seemingly innocent contact) and led her over to his grandfather's main computer. Logging in he brought up a database of all the Pokémon currently housed at the laboratory that also contained the exact amounts of food, nutrients and efforts needed to make their stay comfortable. While his grandfather preferred traditional methods of keeping track of his work, Gary and May both favored electronic book keeping techniques. Therefore, a mad mixture of papers and binders plus piles of electronic gadgets and CDs littered the work area, a mess that the Professor vowed to clean up one day but hadn't even examined once since his promise about five years previous.

While Misty moved through the database, familiarizing herself with the information held within Gary took out a large ring of keys that led to the paddocks, greenhouses, and other outbuildings on the land from the safe underneath a nearby desk.

"Ready?" Gary asked Misty as he gathered up all of the food that they had gathered into a rather large basket that he tucked under his arm. The food was stacked a few feet high but Gary held the basket comfortably nonetheless. Misty looked up from the database and, nodding, shut down the computer. Getting to her feet, she took the basket from Gary and smiled sweetly at him as she settled it on her hip.

She then sashayed out of the lab through the sliding glass doors, leaving a flustered Gary behind her. 'Damn, if that's how she hooked Ash, he's one lucky bastard... that is, if he even cares.'

_**11:15 pm, May 29, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

By 11 pm, all of the two hundred or so Pokémon had been taken care of by the two young trainers. May had promised to keep Delia and Max occupied in the house (Gary didn't want to know what his sister was going to do) so that they didn't accidentally stumble onto Misty's presence on the Oak Homestead; she'd run into them in her rush to get down to the lab and start feeding her own Pokémon. She had done this effectively as the lights in the living room of the mansion had remained on until around ten thirty; then, they'd been curbed abruptly.

Meanwhile, Gary had taken Misty on a much longer tour of his grandfather's laboratory (more like an estate, Gary bitterly thought as he glanced over his shoulder at the veritable mansion that rose over the rest of Pallet Town) and introduced her to the seventeen areas that his grandfather had created for all of the Pokémon. As they did so, Gary found himself having to settle several disputes between the grass and water Pokémon, leaving him to wonder where Ash's Bulbasaur had gone, as that was his job. Misty had watched in fascination as Gary took on the role of mediator, and had even attempted it when a fight broke out between a pair of particularly stubborn Octillery. She had not been a happy camper when a miniature tsunami resulted in her getting soaked. Gary, meanwhile, had rather enjoyed the view... before severely reminding himself that he was, quite frankly, ogling his best friend's fiancée, something he could not, should not be doing. In response, he'd offered his dark green trench jacket, which she'd accepted gratefully, wrapping the too large garment around her and rolling up the sleeves so that she'd be able to use her hands.

Misty had enjoyed the stables, especially the fire horses Ponyta and Rapidash. Gary's Dodrio and some of the Tauros herd that Ash had caught in the Safari Zone years ago (not that she knew the Tauros were Ash's) had also caught her attention. Gary had promised to show her how to ride a Ponyta if she wished to learn the next day; Misty had eagerly taken him up on the offer. Although mucking out the stables had been hard work, Gary had enjoyed it as it gave him an opportunity to think about his current situation. Unfortunately, he had no answers yet as to what to exactly do in regards to his best friend's amnesiac fiancée.

Their next stop was the craggy cliffs near the back of the property where rock and ground-types, with the occasional steel-type liked to hang out, and Misty had found herself in awe as Gary's Nidoking and Nidoqueen had come to greet their trainer. Gary had explained how the pair of Nidoran he'd caught when he was ten were some of the first Pokémon that he'd befriended and how he'd trained them both to become impossibly strong (Misty had commented on his arrogance resulting in Gary's mock-bowing in apology for his wounding the lovely young lady; Misty had unknowingly blushed at these words). The effect was then ruined when Misty had tripped over a Geodude who became rather irate with her clumsiness, threatening to pummel her with a Rock Tomb if she ever did something so rude again.

Next had been the woods where the bug Pokémon lived and Misty soon found herself admiring the scales of May's Beautifly, who soon decided to take up residence on her head much like her Togetic liked to do. Gary watched in awe as Misty interacted with every bug Pokémon she met in the forest. This was not limited to Beedrill (who were notoriously hard to befriend if you were not their trainer), Yanmega (who were standoffish at the best of times) and his Scizor, who had come to greet his trainer warmly then veered over to check out the new human. Gary could only wonder at the disappearance of her fear of bugs and attributed it to her memory-loss. He, for one, hoped that her fear of bug-type Pokémon didn't reemerge when her memories came back as her Caterpie, Weedle and Wurmple would be heart-broken if their beloved trainer became scared to death of them. Actually, now that he thought about it he should really talk to May about having Misty train to level up those three Pokémon as quickly as possible so that they'd stand a better chance against the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters; three little Bug Pokémon didn't really do anything against, say, a Graveler or Mightyena.

The caves where ghost-type Pokémon and the occasional ground-types hid out was next on the trip, and Gary calmly greeted his Spirttomb while Misty froze for a minute in shock, obviously confused as to the very-real existence of ghosts. After a moment, though, Misty found herself moving forward at Gary's wave and carefully pet Spirttomb, who leaned into her touch, obviously enjoying it. Misty had then listened as Gary explained how to feed all of the ghost-Pokémon without getting what he termed "the shivers" when the ghost-types either touched bare skin or zoomed through a human. Misty, as she had with all of the other Pokémon areas had nodded in understanding and was soon chatting with a group of Haunter and Gastly who had approached when they heard food jangling in their containers.

Fire-Pokémon could be found in the hot springs that Professor Oak had created for them, as he didn't have access to a volcano. The Pokémon liked the springs well-enough, especially when the weather got chilly. Misty was in awe of Gary's Houndoom who had pranced over upon seeing her trainer, blue eyes gleaming. May's Vulpix had also trotted up to her trainer's brother and butted her head against Gary's legs, begging for attention. Gary had responded, grinning. Misty herself was in awe at the ease with which Gary switched gears, becoming the lecturing professor-in-training and then a Pokémon trainer-slash-kid the next minute. She was especially impressed with his overall knowledge of Pokémon and the numerous Pokémon that he possessed. Misty herself saw that he had more than six, and when she asked Gary about it he'd responded that most trainers have more than six Pokémon in their collections but can only carry six on them at one time. For those trainers who started in Pallet Town their excess Pokémon would be kept with Professor Oak until needed; other trainers managed somehow.

The dark-type Pokémon could be found anywhere in the areas set aside for the Pokémon, but they favored a section of the preserve that was perpetually in shadow in particular. Here, Misty found herself admiring the sleek feathers of a Murkrow, who was eyeing her watch (a gift from May) greedily. Meanwhile, Sableeye, a ghost and dark-type Pokémon was trying to sneak up on the stash of food that was left in the basket Gary had brought with him, but was stopped by Gary's lifting up the basket away from the sneaky Pokémon. Misty had laughed at this, and Gary found that Misty's laughter sounded like chimes to him.

The poison-type Pokémon, such as Grimer and Koffing hung out near another set of hot springs that Professor Oak had created, basking in the heat and sulfuric fumes that the springs provided. Misty had found herself cooing over a baby Gligar, whom she had proceeded to carry with her until she and Gary had to move on to the next section, leading to a slightly miffed Misty. Gary had stifled a grin at this. Neither trainer noticed that the baby Gligar had watched Misty leave curiously, head tilted to the side.

Flying-type Pokémon were known to be voracious eaters and some, like Spearow and Fearow were very picky about what kinds of food they ate. Misty found this out the hard way when, upon offering a group of low-level Spearow some Pokémon food they turned their beaks up at her offering and flew to another tree. Gary had laughed at this and upon seeing Misty's slightly hurt expression showed her how to appeal to the picky eaters. Afterwards, Misty had found herself cooing at a pair of young Starly who had attached themselves to her, hoping to garner more food from the clearly sympathetic red-haired girl.

The next area had been the steel-type area, where those few Pokémon who had the privilege of being classified as such congregated. Misty found herself stepping backwards in slight fear at a Steelix's approach (that was one **giant** metal snake!), but after Gary showed that he wasn't dead from interacting with the behemoth Misty had gotten over her fear… for the most part. She did, however, enjoy the Skarmory who lived in the area and who had decided to take her hair tie to put in her nest. Gary had commented that Misty looked better with her hair down.

Water-type Pokémon, Misty's obvious favorites, lived in a giant pond that was fed by a combination of hot and cold springs, creating three areas – one hot, one cold and one moderate temperature-wise. Misty spent a good thirty minutes here cooing over each and every water Pokémon that came her way, including a Tentacruel that Gary had had the bad luck of getting on his "To Maim Yet Not Kill List" but who seemed to adore Misty, going so far as offering a ride to the gym leader who eagerly accepted. Misty also enjoyed watching the baby Squirtle who was playing the shallows next to its mother, a very protective Wartortle. The Squirtle had shyly accepted the food Misty offered and then run back to its mother who nodded in thanks then promptly ignored the two humans.

The electric-type Pokémon lived on a grassy plain that was adjacent to the area where the normal-type Pokémon resided, which resulted in the two young adults feeding multiple Pokémon at once. Misty found herself observing another trainer's Eevee and noticed that its coat wasn't as shiny or smooth as May's. When she asked Gary about it he tersely replied that there were some trainers who didn't take as good care of their Pokémon as they should, and that it wasn't in his best interests (or hers, for that matter) to reprimand said trainer. As a result, Gary added, his grandfather and Tracey tried to take care of all the Pokémon, even those whose trainers could care less. As for this particular Eevee, his trainer hadn't called for him for a year or more, having led May to seriously think about adopting the little guy... somehow.

The electric-type Pokémon found themselves attracted to the red-haired trainer and some even pushed the normal-types away so that they could get more food. As a result, Misty found herself raising her voice to prevent possible fights and, surprisingly, all but a stubborn Raichu and Furret listened to her; those two were taken care of by Gary and his harsh disappointment with them. Of course, the threat of no dinner was just as effective.

Grass-types lived in a large, green field with some trees scattered throughout it. Some of them, such as Sunflora and Cherubi lived in the adjacent greenhouses. Gary first showed Misty those grass-types in the field, and Misty found herself in awe at just how many different grass-types there seemed to be. In particular, a small Oddish caught her attention as it wobbled unsteadily towards her, causing Misty to pick up said Pokémon and, for lack of a better word, baby it. Gary shook his head in wonder. She was so much more than he had thought, or even heard, and it was amazing to see how interested and friendly she was towards Pokémon of all types. If he didn't know better he would say that she really was an Oak, but he knew that the wish was merely fancy, doomed to never come true.

The greenhouses were hot and steamy, feeling more like a jungle. Gary felt at home, having worked on Saida Island early in his career as a Pokémon Professor and having just spent the good deal of nine months in a humid jungle in Hoenn. Misty seemed to feel at home too, leading Gary to believe that the humidity of her gym in Cerulean City and the comfort she drew from it were reasserting themselves. He explained how to run the greenhouse and why certain Pokémon were more comfortable in the greenhouse than a large field. Misty nodded, understanding the reasoning and finding her interest piqued by everything she was learning. Why had she just focused on water Pokémon? Every type was so cool; she now wanted to learn all she could about them!

Ice-types, so similar to water-types instantly caught Misty's interest. Owning a Glaceon and a Vaporeon who could use Ice Beam had taught her a healthy respect for the ice-type, which, according to Gary, was underestimated. Misty found herself kneeling in the small, cold arena that her grandfather had created, petting a Swinub who had burrowed out of the frosted ground at the smell of food. Gary sat on a ledge a few feet away, admiring Misty's calm presence as the ice-type Pokémon had a tendency to slightly... panic when another human came in for some odd reason. They were perfectly calm for Misty, though. Gary felt it odd but then shrugged it off due to Misty's having a few ice-type Pokémon of her own and therefore knowing how to act around them.

Misty soon found herself drawn to an area that, like the rock and ground-types' areas had craggy cliffs and numerous caves. There was an arena full of sand in the middle of the complex of caves. Gary informed her that this area was for the fighting-type Pokémon such as Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. Then, from out of nowhere a primal scream sounded and Misty jumped in fear. Gary remained standing, knowing the source and reason for said scream.

"Primeape, enough. Don't spook Misty," Gary drawled and, soon enough a monkey-like Pokémon with large boxing gloves emerged, black eyes narrowed. When they landed on Gary they widened and pretty soon Gary found himself on his back, an ecstatic Primeape on him.

Misty, now knowing that there was no real threat giggled. Gary, grinning, pushed Primeape off him and commented, "This guy belongs to our grandfather. He's one of Grandpa's original Pokémon and, as a result is sort of in charge of this section of the laboratory." Primeape nodded in agreement.

Looking closer, Misty could see numerous scars and silver fur around Primeape's eyes. "How old is he?"

Gary thought for a minute before replying, "Not totally sure, but I think he's something like thirty to thirty-five years old."

"Wow," Misty breathed.

After that, the two young adults quickly fed the fighting-type Pokémon with Primeape assisting and keeping fights from breaking out among some of the more churlish Pokémon such as a pair of twin Tyrogue.

The next-to-last area that had Pokémon was the dragon arena. Misty could honestly admit to herself that she was a tad nervous. Dragons were supposed to be mean and breathe fire; was she going to be dead soon?

Upon arrival, Misty found that her previous fears were unfounded as the first Pokémon she saw was a large water dragon. "I didn't know that there were water dragons."

Gary turned around. "If I remember correctly, you have one of those guys. It's a Gyrados, and he's one of the most powerful water-type Pokémon."

"Really? Where is he, then?"

"Must be back at the Cerulean Gym," Gary commented, hand under his chin. "If you want, next time we set out we can swing by and pick up the rest of your Pokémon."

"I'd like that."

Misty soon found herself being offered a ride by a friendly Dragonair; Gary said it was May's. After a minute, she never wanted to come down, but Gary told her that there was one last area to cover and then they would be done. Misty reluctantly left the dragon arena, waving good-bye to Dragonair as the dragon dove into the lake.

Psychic-types drew Misty's interest due to rumors she remembered hearing from May when training that they had telekinesis and telepathy. Gary, when asked about these possible talents merely grinned and remained silent. Upon reaching the small collection of caves surrounding a pond that housed the psychic-types Gary whistled and waited. Misty glanced around, wondering what the whistle had been for when she found herself floating off the ground. Shrieking, she glared at a chuckling Gary and did a double-take when she saw that there was a human-looking Pokémon with a mustache and holding two spoons, arms aloft in the air next to him.

"Gary, get me down now!" Misty shrieked, afraid that she was going to fall.

Gary nodded and, muttering something to his Pokémon Misty slowly floated back to the ground. As soon as feet touched the earth Misty made a beeline for Gary, umbrage written all over her face.

"What was that for?!" Misty demanded, getting in Gary's face.

Gary smirked. "Thought you wanted to see telekinesis in action?"

"Well, yeah, but not on me!"

Gary shrugged. "Should have specified, then." Misty, incensed by Gary's blasé attitude reared back and socked Gary in the face.

"Damn it, Red! What the hell was that for?!" Gary demanded, hand over his left eye.

Misty, rubbing her knuckles glared. "That was for acting like an arrogant jerk. I think you deserved it." She then turned to the Pokémon, who was leaning over his trainer in concern and added, "I'd watch which orders I take from my trainer from now on."

The Pokémon turned and, recognizing this woman's strength and tenacity shrugged and replied, "Alakazam."

"Now that that's taken care of, would you help me feed the other psychic-types, Alakazam?" Misty asked, moving to collect the basket left on the ground earlier.

Gary, still clutching his eye stumbled to his feet and, hissing in pain said, "That was uncalled for, and you know it."

Misty turned and glared. "What was uncalled for, _cousin_, was that prank on me. Think before you act next time, huh?" With that, Misty turned and followed Alakazam (_his_ Alakazam, Gary noted bitterly) to the other caves where the other psychic-types were waiting, many seemingly sniggering at what had happened.

Gary pulled his hand away, knowing that he'd have a nice shiner in the morning and stared at Misty's retreating form. 'She's Ash's fiancée... and yet, I can't stop thinking about her. Why?' The answer to Gary's seemingly innocent question would not arrive until much later and when it did he'd realize just how much of an idiot he'd been for not seeing it earlier.

_**11:30 pm, May 29, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Gary was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts of his and Misty's trip to feed all of the Pokémon by a knock on his door. Pulling on a tee-shirt he answered and found himself gripped tightly by Misty, who was shaking.

"What's wrong?" Gary was concerned; in all his memory he never remembered Misty this scared or vulnerable.

"I had another nightmare," she whispered. "You were fighting something along with a bunch of other people, one of them who looked exactly like you when all of a sudden you disappeared in a column of fire. I just had to make sure that you, you weren't,"

"Shh, it's going to be okay, Mist. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"... Can I stay here tonight?"

Gary's arms slightly tightened around Misty at this question. She either didn't notice or didn't care as she didn't react. Now what? This was dangerous territory, and as much as Gary hated Ash for outright abandoning Misty he knew that he couldn't go any further because she **was** Ash's fiancée; not his. 'Where in Arcerus did that idea come from?'

"Gary?" Misty asked, concerned when she didn't receive an answer.

Gary breathed deeply before answering, "Sure, Misty. You take the bed and I'll get a sleeping bag." Misty grinned and, hugging her cousin tightly moved towards Gary's bed, drawing back the covers. Gary couldn't help but watch her, mesmerized by her actions.

Snapping himself out of his daze, he moved towards his bag, which he had yet to unpack and pulled out his dark blue sleeping bag and, without looking caught the pillow that Misty tossed him.

"Good night, Gary," Misty said, snuggling underneath the dark blue comforter on Gary's bed, breathing in the comforting scent of cinnamon and apples.

"Night," Gary replied, vowing to wake up before Misty did so he could take care of business and prevent any embarrassment; on either of their parts...


	29. Arrivals and Occurrences

**Disclaimer:** I've decided to auction off some items in order to raise money to get my team out of jail… at least my team's being taken care of, if only somewhat…

**A/N:** You know, I thought that I'd updated this earlier, but I suppose not… Oh well. It's only been about a month and some days, much better than six months. I'm trying to get ahead in chapters so that updates will come more quickly, but that's an interesting task to accomplish… Anyway, here's chapter 29, and this is where the story begins to get interesting; keep track of who you see! Also, for those of you who are interested, I've entered a fic. in Lilineko's new Egofic. contest, titled _The Art of Giving_. Shameless plug on my part, yes, but check it out if you wish. Otherwise, enjoy!

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

_"…"_: Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 29: Arrivals and Occurrences**

_**8:30 am, May 30, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

The next morning Gary woke up around 8:30. Blinking rapidly, he looked around and was confused as to why he was on the ground in a sleeping bag rather than on his feather bed. After a moment, he remembered with startling clarity last night, foremost Misty's plea to sleep with him. 'Not like _that_, idiot!'

Scrambling out of the sleeping bag, he quickly folded it up and placed both it and his pillow in a corner of his room. Then, grabbing a set of clothes and the necessary toiletries he walked quickly to the bathroom, thanking Mew that said room was empty. Moving quickly, Gary got ready for the day (which included using a bit of May's foundation to dampen the black area around his eye from where Misty had slugged him the night before… not that he'd ever admit he'd used it) and, moving back to his room was not surprised to see Misty stirring.

"Morning, Red," Gary commented, moving over to his desk and assembling a pile of notes and random papers that he had collected on the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters in the past week or so. "Feel any better?"

Misty yawned and, blinking sleepily replied, "Definitely. Anyone else up yet?"

Gary shrugged. "Don't know. Just got up myself. Why don't you get dressed and we'll head downstairs. I'm sure that you're starving due to your choice not to partake in dinner last night."

Misty blushed slightly when her rumbling stomach made itself known. "Sure, sounds like a plan." Pushing back the covers she didn't notice when Gary spun around, averting his eyes.

'Damn, damn, damn! Why did May have to give Misty _that_ pajama set?' May had to have had some evil scheme in mind when she loaned the auburn-haired Gym Leader pajamas because Misty was dressed in a pair of very short shorts that showed off her long, lean legs and a baby-blue tank top. Gary had remarked once that it showed too much of May's skin; he'd gotten a wink and laugh for his comment. Now, that comment was coming back to bite him in the ass.

Gary clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to cleanse his mind of the image he'd just seen, yet he had no luck as the image of Misty in her borrowed pajamas seemingly danced in front of his eyes. 'Karma sucks.'

"See you later, Gary," Misty said, opening the door to her cousin's room and slipping down the hallway to her own bedroom. As soon as she left Gary let his head drop and took a deep breath.

'Damn, I can't be doing this! I can't be having these thoughts about my best friend's fiancée; I just can't!'

_**9:30 am, May 30, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

An hour later May stumbled downstairs, sleep still in her eyes and found her brother and 'cousin' cooking up a storm in the kitchen and to her surprise nothing was on fire. 'Strange, Gary usually burns _something_ on the stove...'

"Hey May!" Misty greeted, placing a plate of blueberry pancakes on the table. "Gary told me that I was a good cook so, following a recipe I managed to make these."

Gary glanced over his shoulder and, smirking added, "I made the batter."

May smirked in return and said, "Then they must be poisoned. It didn't work before and it won't work now."

Misty looked back and forth between the siblings before deciding to ignore them in favor of making another plate of pancakes for herself.

Gary shrugged before placing a mug of hot coffee in front of his sister who smiled gratefully before taking a sip. If there was one thing that Gary could make besides easy things like hard-boiled eggs on the road it was coffee; hers was too runny and their grandfather's too bitter. Gary's was the perfect combination; not too bitter and not too watered down. Whenever he came home, she begged him to make loads of it for her to hold her over until his next visit; he usually obliged.

As Gary set a plate of chocolate-chip pancakes on the table for himself, he heard more footsteps entering the kitchen and froze. May, Misty and himself were all in the kitchen, so who in Arceus was that?

Max Maple yawned widely as he entered the kitchen, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a gray tee-shirt before blinking consecutive times at what, or rather, who he was seeing. He even went so far as to take off his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt and putting them back on; yet, the increased blinking meant that nothing had changed in his vision.

"Misty?" Max asked eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yes?" Misty responded, turning around before freezing at the site of a stranger in her cousins' kitchen. "Do I know you?"

"Do you, wait. Don't you recognize me?" Max asked, stepping closer. Misty attempted to back up but found she had nowhere to go. The sink was behind her and next to it was the stove; she did not want to get burned if she could help it.

"No... should I?"

Max shook his head in disbelief before his gaze landed on Gary. "Oak, why didn't you tell me that Misty was 'on the outside'?"

Gary blinked, internally cursing his bad luck and Karma's role in it before replying, "Didn't want to worry you."

Max exploded. "What do you mean, 'Didn't want to worry me'? Did you not think that I would want to know that one of my best friends was not being held captive and was, in fact, in this very house? What's next – Brock'll come bursting through the glass door, swooning over Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny or Drew with a rose for May's Beautifly?"

While May mouthed the name "Drew", sure she'd heard it somewhere Gary angrily got to his feet but before he could shoot back a retort Delia entered the kitchen. Things went from bad to worse.

"Misty?" Delia gasped before rushing forward and embracing her son's fiancée fiercely.

Misty shot panicked looks at her cousins, asking for help and May gently pried Delia off Misty and, looking at Max said, "Listen. We have a lot to tell you two, but let's wait until after we've all eaten and gotten ready for the day, alright?"

Delia nodded immediately but Max hesitated for a minute before slowly nodding. Gary internally sighed in relief. 'Thank Mew. Now I can figure out just how I'm going to explain this.'

Breakfast was a silent affair, with the Oaks exchanging worried glances, Misty keeping her eyes focused on the grained wood of the table and Delia and Max glancing at Misty incredulously, questions burning in their eyes.

After the table was cleared May, Delia and Max went to get dressed, with Delia promising to bring Mimey down so Misty could see him again. Gary didn't even bother explaining who Mimey was, knowing Delia would most likely do it for him.

He looked at Misty and, upon seeing her questioning gaze put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and stated, "I'll explain when we're all gathered in the living room." Misty, trusting that her cousin wouldn't lie to her merely nodded and moved towards the room where she and May had talked that first day, pleased that she remembered where it was. Gary made to follow her when the doorbell rang.

"What now? What else could possibly go wrong?" Gary muttered angrily, stomping towards the door. Wrenching it open, his jaw dropped. 'I had to ask, didn't I?'

"Gary! Are you okay?" Dawn Valen asked blue eyes wide in disbelief launching herself at the Researcher to capture him in a fierce hug. Gary instantly stiffened and after a moment, returned the embrace, awkward that it was. There was no way he was returning the fierce hug when Paul was standing there, glaring figurative daggers at him. "I thought that you'd been kidnapped or something!"

Gary, after being released from Dawn's hold leaned against the open door, eyes narrowing. "Nope. Never went to that dumb conference. How'd you escape, Dawn?" He nodded distractedly to Paul, Kenny and Zoey, the latter two looking shocked that the former two knew the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak personally; the former looked as if he was willing to physically harm him, but knew that it'd do no good. 'That guy is seriously possessive.'

Dawn shrugged. "We never got an invitation; actually, it was only the Gym Leaders who got invitations, but when they got to Sunyshore City they found that it had been a hoax." Upon receiving confusing looks as to how she knew this she added, "Maylene told Reggie who told Paul who then told me."

"Ah," Gary responded, sounding like he understood when he really didn't.

"Are you going to let us in, Oak?" Paul asked, or rather demanded, black eyes narrowed.

Gary sighed before opening the door wider and replying, "I guess. Go down the hall here and take the first door on the left. I'll be there in a minute."

Paul nodded sharply and followed his girlfriend inside, not bothering to remove his boots or jacket. He did, however, remove his backpack, which appeared awfully small in comparison to Dawn's. Dawn came afterwards and she toed off her sneakers, followed by Zoey and Kenny. The four Sinnoh trainers then followed Gary's directions and entered the living room, not noticing the auburn-haired woman in a large armchair, most likely because said piece of furniture was facing the television.

Gary moaned. "Great. Now more people to tell Misty about and two of them I've never even met. Can anything else happen today?"

Gary went to close the door when he heard someone shout for him to keep the door open. Muttering curses under his breath, he obeyed the command and found himself watching two young adults run up the winding walkway. A flash of silver hair caught his attention and he decided to see what they wanted. Maybe they were tourists, in which case he'd send them on his way and go back to the developing situation in the mansion.

"Is this the home of Professor Samuel Oak?" a young red-haired woman asked, ice blue eyes focusing on Gary's sapphire orbs.

Then again, maybe not.

Unconsciously copying May's actions of the previous day Gary leaned against the door post and responded, "Who wants to know?"

The silver-haired person, now seen to be a man dressed in a royal blue duster glared at Gary and responded, "We do. Got a problem with that?"

"Actually, I do. See, there's a rule here in Pallet Town. No giving out personal information to nosy people who don't know when to shut up for their own good." Gary matched glare for glare with the silver-haired man, who was ignoring the red-haired red woman's pleading to cease and desist.

Finally, fed up with the man's behavior the woman rolled her eyes and, stepping in front of the man proceeded to push him backwards so that she was facing Gary. Taking a breath she said, "Listen, we didn't mean to be rude. We just really need to find Professor Oak. We have something to tell him."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "I see." Shrugging, he added, "Sorry. Can't help you there."

The man grunted and said, "Who are you to refuse us entrance or even permission to see Professor Oak?"

Gary sighed, seeing no other choice in the matter. He hated having to reveal his identity to overly curious people because they became even more curious. "Name's Gary Oak; Professor Oak's grandson."

The young woman gasped in amazement before clutching her hands in front of her. "Oh. Sorry. I guess we can tell you then, since you are Professor Oak's grandson, right?"

The silver-haired man turned his eyes – Gary absently noted that they seemed to resemble molten gold – on Gary and, cocking his head seemed to be studying the young man for a reason. Suddenly, an intake of air could be heard and the man said, "It's him."

"What?" Gary asked but he went unacknowledged as the young woman sharply turned towards the man.

"Are you sure?"

The man nodded. "Yes."

The woman stared into the man's eyes for a moment, obviously looking for something before turning to face Gary and smiled. "Sorry. We never introduced ourselves. I'm Rui Orre and this is my husband, Wes."

Gary blinked. Why did Wes' name sound so familiar?

Wes wasted no time before stating, "I saw you in a dream I had."

Gary blanched at this statement while Rui slapped a palm to her face. 'My husband the socialite.'

"What Wes meant to say, Gary," Rui rushed to say, attempting to salvage the situation, "was that he saw you in a kind of vision."

"Vision?" This sounded better than a dream but still... it was just plain creepy.

Wes nodded, not looking abashed at his previous statement. "I saw you and an auburn-haired woman fighting something with a lot of red. Then, in a flash of fire you disappeared."

"Oh, so now you remember the nightmare-slash-vision," Rui teased, eyes sparkling. Wes smirked at his wife.

Gary had to work to keep his jaw from hitting the ground. "When did you have this vision?"

Wes looked up at the sky for a moment before stating, "I think it was May 18. Yeah, that sounds about right because we left the next morning and got here today."

Gary blinked. "It took you guys twelve days to get here? Just where are you from?"

"Orre."

Gary blinked. Today was just full of surprises. "Orre? You mean that continent that had the evil syndicate Cipher three years ago? That Orre?"

"Yes," Rui replied slowly, not quite sure what Gary was asking.

"Is there any way you can get me permission to study there? That'd be awesome! No Pokémon Professor from this side of the hemisphere has ever gotten a chance to study in Orre and it'd be really good to study somewhere new," Gary exclaimed ecstatic at the opportunity that had just appeared. The chance to study in Orre… now that was something that the other Pokémon Professors'd be jealous of for sure!

Wes and Rui blinked then looked at each other. Who was going to handle this one?

"I guess," Rui answered slowly, glancing at her husband. "But shouldn't we worry about whatever Wes' dream was about?"

Gary mentally cursed himself. "Yeah, sorry. My bad." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Do you, ah, want to come in?"

Wes and Rui shrugged. "Why not?"

As Gary opened the door to let them inside he looked around to make sure that no one else was coming. 'That's just what we need. More confusion.'

As Rui toed off her shoes and placed her backpack on the ground she noticed that Wes had yet to do either. Tapping her foot she looked at Wes, who didn't even move. Huffing impatiently she lunged for her husband only to grab empty air; Wes smirked as he danced backwards.

Rui lunged for Wes again and once more he stepped out of her way, but this time he dropped his backpack on the ground. Grinning, he leant back to avoid his wife's swipe but on her fourth try she managed to grab the back of Wes' duster.

"Don't be rude, Wes. Take off your boots," Rui said, grinning smugly at having caught her husband.

"Why should I?" Wes teased, grabbing Rui's arm. "I don't see anyone I'm being rude to in this hallway, do you?" Gary watched the couple from Orre, smirking. This was actually quite fun to watch.

Rui just looked at her husband for a moment before he sighed dramatically and, bending down took off his boots. Rui smiled at him, pecked him on the cheek and looked at Gary for further instructions.

Shaking his head in amusement Gary motioned for the two trainers from Orre to follow him.

_**11:00 am, May 30, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

"Where is he?" Dawn demanded, pacing. She and Paul had taken up residence on one of the black leather couches, with Kenny and Zoey next to them. Max and Delia, who had entered about ten minutes after the Sinnoh trainers had looked at them askance and seated themselves on another couch. Misty was still ensconced on the leather chair, except she had turned it around and was currently facing the gathered people, all of whom had nodded in greeting.

May entered the living room and upon seeing the four Sinnoh trainers cocked her head in confusion. She turned to Max and asked, "What is going on?"

Max shrugged, fingering a miniaturized Pokéball. "Ask your brother. I came in here with Mrs. Ketchum and they were already here."

Kenny growled. "Stop talking about us as if we're not in this room with you!" Zoey laid a hand on her boyfriend's arm which seemed to calm him down.

Max glared daggers at the brown-haired trainer. "Maybe if I knew who you were I'd be a little less hostile!"

Kenny opened his mouth to launch a retort when Zoey spoke. "I'm Zoey Nagano, this is Kenny Winters." Pointing to Dawn and Paul respectively she added, "That's Dawn Valen and Paul Andreas. We're from Sinnoh and when we heard that Ash was missing we came to see if we could offer any help."

"You knew Ash?" Delia asked which drew Dawn's attention.

"Wait... Mrs. Ketchum? Arceus, it's so great to see you again! I mean, I wish it was under better circumstances but, uh," Dawn said and from there began to ramble. Max looked at Dawn oddly before turning to Paul, who looked perpetually bored. However, Max could just catch the beginnings of a smile, tiny that it was, on Paul's face.

Delia smiled. "Yes, of course Dawn. I do remember you. It's so nice to see you again." Mimey, who was next to her grinned and waved hello in greeting. "Mimey says hello as well."

"Well, isn't this just rainbows and sunshine," Paul muttered, arms crossed over his chest. No matter how much Dawn had scolded him he refused to remove his boots. They were defiantly crossed and May could see that they looked dirty.

"Look... Paul. Take off your boots, now," May demanded voice frosty. Paul glared at her but after a moment, he shrugged and bent down to take them off. Dawn watched in amazement before turning to May.

"Teach me how to get him to listen to me," she begged, wanting to have the secret for future incidents, which she was sure were going to come.

May grinned and was about to respond when the door to the living room opened and the gathered trainers (and non-trainers) turned to see who was entering. Gary walked through first followed by two more people, one with silver hair and the other with red.

Gary looked up and, looking around noted that everyone was present. "First off, sorry I'm a bit late. We had some visitors."

"I see that," May muttered, taking the one unavailable chair. The two new people looked around and, shrugging took the two seats left on Max and Delia's couch. Gary remained standing and was, coincidentally directly across from Misty.

"Okay, Oak, explain what's going on," Max demanded, his voice holding no room for argument. "I've been patient enough. How is it that Misty here is 'on the outside' and doesn't remember Mrs. Ketchum or myself?"

Delia nodded in agreement, adding, "What is going on, Gary? Where's my Ash?" Not once did she think to mention Misty's status as Ash's fiancée, which both Oaks picked up on. One was unconcerned and one was grateful.

Gary sighed before digging in his jeans' pocket and pulling out a crumbled piece of paper. Looking over at May he asked, "Did you find the invitations?"

May blinked, before replying, "Yeah, I did. Here." She took two pale blue invitations with gold writing on them out of her coat pocket. Gary took them and saw that they both said the same thing, with the only difference being the addressee. _"We formally invite you, [Name of recipient here], to attend a conference in Fuchsia City on February 1, 2005. This conference will include discussions on various advancements in the field of Pokémon research and demonstrations of battle tactics by the current Elite Four and the current Pokémon Champion. Seminars will also be held, with each Kanto Gym Leader speaking on their gym and what has been accomplished in the last few years. Accommodations will be taken care of. RSVP by January 1, 2005. We hope to you see you there. – Mr. Charles Goodshow, head of the Pokémon League Torch Committee and head of the Indigo League._

Gary blinked. 'Mr. Goodshow? The man who has the long white beard, is kind of short, and loves to wear baseball hats? That Mr. Goodshow is the cause behind all of this? Something's wrong here.'

Gary looked up and looking at Max asked, "Did you receive an invitation?"

Max opened his mouth to reply but Delia interrupted him. Looking apologetically at the young adult, Delia asked, "Shouldn't we all introduce ourselves? I'm sure there are some people here who do not know everyone."

"Right," May said, glancing at Gary. He shrugged, indicating that she could start. "I'm May Oak, and that's my brother Gary. Our grandfather's Professor Samuel Oak, renowned Pokémon Professor and inventor of the Pokédex."

"Delia Ketchum, mother to Ash Ketchum, the current champion." Mr. Mime tugged at Delia's arm and she hastened to add, "Oh, and this is Mimey."

"Mime, Mr. Mime!"

Max took off his glasses to clean them while saying, "Max Maple, son of Norman Maple of the Petalburg Gym in the Hoenn Region and brother of May Maple, Master Pokémon Coordinator."

Dawn smiled brightly while waving a hand in greeting. "I'm Dawn Valen from Twinleaf Town in the Sinnoh Region and I'm also a Master Pokémon Coordinator, like my mom Johanna was."

"Paul Andreas. Veilstone City. Sinnoh Region."

Kenny glanced oddly at Paul before stating, "Kenny Winters. I'm from Twinleaf Town, like Dawn, in the Sinnoh Region. I'm also a Pokémon Coordinator, but not quite a Master yet."

Zoey took off her tinted sunglasses and, grinning, said, "Name's Zoey Nagano. I'm from Snowpoint City in the Sinnoh Region. Like Dawn, I'm a Master Pokémon Coordinator. It's nice to meet you."

Misty grinned. "I'm Misty Waterflower, Cerulean City Gym Leader." She glanced at Gary to see if she had done her introduction correctly and he subtly tilted his head in acknowledgement.

Wes cleared his throat. "Wes Orre. I'm from Pyrite Town in the Orre Region."

Rui grinned brightly. "I'm Rui Orre, and I'm from Agate City in the Orre Region."

Delia nodded, smiling. Max subtly rolled his eyes and answered Gary's previous question. "I got one, but I misplaced it almost as soon as I got it. I found it about three weeks ago while cleaning my room. Honestly, I forgot about it, even when May called me to ask where I was and if I was going while on her way to the conference."

"Where was it held?" Gary asked, leaning forward.

Max frowned. "I think it was Slateport City... yeah, that was it. I remember May complaining about both Drew and Brendan's attempts to 'claim her' as theirs," Max used air quotes to make his point, "and how she'd relish the chance to kick them both into the harbor."

Dawn looked at Max oddly. "You know, you're nothing like your sister."

Max glanced sharply at Dawn. "What'd you say?"

Dawn frowned. "I just said that you and your sister act very differently."

"How would you know?" Max demanded, getting to his feet.

"Because I battled your sister in and won the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh a few years ago, that's why! She told me there about how sweet you were and how you were so alike, but that was obviously a lie," Dawn explained slowly, leaning back into the couch and onto Paul's arm, which he'd loosely draped behind her.

Max was ready to go and strangle the blue-haired trainer when her words registered. "Wait, you're _that_ Dawn? The coordinator that beat her, even though she was a Master Coordinator, and who went on to win the Sinnoh Region's Grand Festival?"

Dawn blinked. "Yes, but Zoey and I share the win for the Sinnoh Grand Festival." Zoey waved, grinning. It was so amusing to see Dawn take on this teen without anger. Hanging out with Paul had done wonders for her self-control.

"Oh. Sorry." With that Max sat back down and proceeded to closely examine his feet. Everyone watched this, confused, and Max refused to say anything, apparently having decided to either brood or think; Gary wasn't quite sure which.

"Anyway," Gary said, effectively drawing the room's attention back to himself. He proceeded to explain what he knew about the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters, how he'd found Misty unconscious, how she had amnesia (shocked looks appeared on most, if not all of the faces in the room except May, Misty and Gary's). The bit about her being Ash Ketchum's fiancée and his blatant lie to the hospital about his relation to the young Gym Leader was never brought up; May looked at him knowingly but remained silent. Gary then launched into the two attacks he'd faced, and it was here that voices rose in protest.

"No way! I know Brendan, and he'd never turn evil!" Max declared, standing up. Wes and Rui, not knowing who these people really were, remained silent while the four trainers from Sinnoh watched in interest.

Gary folded his arms. "Listen Max, I know you're upset. Hell, I'm pissed myself, but I can honestly say that Ritchie Lagner and Brendan Birch were not the same trainers that I've known for most of my life. They were mean, aggressive and dedicated to recapturing Misty for an unknown reason. Brendan and Ritchie faced off against me on the outskirts of Pallet Town and former Team Rocket members Butch and Cassidy fought here on the preserve."

"Wait, those two were Team Rocket members?" May asked incredulously, having arrived at the tail-end of the battle.

Gary nodded. "Yeah, and unlike James and Jessie those two were fairly successful until they ran into Ash and company in Johto." Here he smiled. "Apparently, Ash and those who are friends with him have an innate ability to defeat Team Rocket no matter what." Paul shot a smirk Kenny's way, having proof that not all Team Rocket members were idiots. Kenny ignored him.

"Now what?" Misty asked, knees drawn to her chest. Everyone looked around, not sure what to do. Misty then turned her attention to Gary and asked, "Gary, do you have a plan?"

Gary blinked when everyone's gaze, Paul's included landed on him. "Uh, why are you all staring at me?"

Paul snorted. "You know, Oak, for being a Pokémon Professor you sure are dense at times. You have the most knowledge of what we're up against and are obviously schooled in how to deal with these people. So, I support you." This last part was said a tad bitterly, making Dawn faintly grin in understanding.

Gary smirked. "I see. All right, I'll accept the nomination."

May then turned to Wes and Rui. "You said you guys are from the Orre Region. Are the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters there too?"

Wes shook his head negatively, eyes narrowing. Just how much of himself should he reveal to these strangers who were, oddly enough, quickly becoming his friends?

May blinked. "Then why are you here?"

Rui sighed before opening her mouth to explain but it was Wes who spoke. "On May 18, I had a nightmare. That's not unusual in and of itself for reasons that I won't explain, but this felt like more than a typical nightmare. It felt more like... like a vision."

"You're kidding. You actually believe in that shit?" Paul asked disbelief etched across his features. Delia glared at him, not accepting of cursing. Dawn winced from the glare but Paul didn't even flinch.

Wes glared right back, molten gold eyes seemingly glowing. "Actually, I do. I have had experience with it before, and after I helped save my home my abilities evolved."

Paul snorted. "That's a load of crap."

Max jumped in. "Actually, it's not. There was this girl – Anabel Lunara – whom Ash and I both met, along with Brock and May when we were traveling the Kanto Battle Frontier. I remember Ash talking about how he was one hundred positive that she could communicate telepathically with both her Pokémon and Ash. Hell, I met her, and she really was telepathic!" No one noticed Paul's fists clench tightly at the mention of the Battle Frontier and he wanted to keep it that way.

Paul looked at Max, slightly disgusted. "You know, I actually respected you due to your battling style and accomplishments in only six years, but now you've lost that hard-earned respect."

Max glared at Paul. He opened his mouth to retort when Dawn intervened. "Enough! Are you two five-year olds or what? We're here to help Ash and the others, not to throw insults; right?"

Paul snorted and leaned back against the couch while Max glared and leaned back as well. Wes was looking a tad amused while Rui seemed upset.

Gary looked at Wes and motioned for him to continue. Wes inclined his head before adding, "Anyway, this vision I had showed a group of people fighting against some kind of evil that had a lot of red and I think green. Then, I saw a guy who looked like Gary," here everyone looked at Gary whose face remained blank, "disappear in a column of fire. I heard voices whisper that I had to help or the world was doomed."

Rui looked at Wes. "Seems your memory's better than we thought, huh?" Wes merely smirked at his wife, winking roguishly.

Misty perked up. "That sounds similar to the nightmare I had last night!"

May's gaze locked onto Misty. "You had a nightmare? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Well... I didn't think it was a big deal but now that Wes mentioned it I realized that it's important, somehow."

Zoey nodded. "It seems like we've been drawn here together for a reason. I think we're some of the few trainers left who can help to get rid of these Phoenix Pokémon Hunters. I'm in. Kenny?"

Kenny looked at his girlfriend and, grinning ruefully said, "Yeah, I'm in."

"Me too!" Dawn chirped, nudging a somewhat bitter Paul who merely nodded.

Max slightly smiled at Dawn's attitude, which reminded him of May's own personality. It made him miss his sister terribly. "Count me in. I'm going to find May and kick these Hunters' asses!" Delia lightly smacked him on the arm at his use of the curse word and Max grinned sheepishly.

Misty nodded, a frown flitting across her face at the mention of the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters. Why did she feel that there was something missing?

Gary merely nodded, having already accepted the nomination to lead the group.

May shrugged. "Much as I'd love to join you guys I need to stay here at the lab and take care of the Pokémon."

"Why not just send every Pokémon into their balls and bring them with us? That way, you can come and the Pokémon will be safe and sound," Misty suggested, as if the action was something she had done before.

May thought for a moment before slowly replying, "That's not a bad idea. This way, we'd have Pokémon of all seventeen types, of all various experiences and strengths with us in case they're needed."

"What about the trainers who'll call and ask to switch out Pokémon?" Gary asked, leaning against the closed door to the living room.

May looked at her brother oddly before remembering that he hadn't been back home for more than two weeks. "No one's called to switch out Pokémon since February 1, meaning that they were probably taken by the Hunters."

Gary seemed shocked. "All fifty trainers who use the preserve to store excess Pokémon? You're sure?"

May shot a look at Gary and sneered, "Of course I'm sure. I've only been looking after two hundred or so Pokémon for over three months. Of course I'd know which trainers haven't called for their Pokémon or which Pokémon are missing."

Gary looked sheepish. "Sorry."

May calmed down. "It's fine." A pensive look stole across her face. "The only strange thing that I can think of is that Ash and Tracey took all of their Pokémon with them before the conference. Ash even took his Bulbasaur with him, who was supposed to be settling disputes between the grass and water-type Pokémon."

Gary grunted. "I know that. Mist and I were feeding the Pokémon last night and I had to deal with an irate Vileplume and Croconaw."

"If that's the case, I like Misty's idea. This way I can keep an eye on you, bro," May added, winking at her clearly embarrassed brother. Gary turned his nose up at May's assertion that he wasn't old enough to look after himself.

"If that's all, then I'll stay here and mind the mansion for you two," Delia said, referring to the Oaks. Misty looked confused; shouldn't it be 'you three'? "This way, it'll be dust-free when you come back."

May nodded in appreciation before saying, "Gary and I appreciate that, Delia. However, because you are Ash's mother you are in danger. Therefore, Gary and I are going to be leaving some of our Pokémon to protect you." Gary nodded in agreement.

"Now that's settled, here's what I think our next move is going to be," Gary said, placing a world map on the coffee table. He folded it to show Kanto and placed an "x" to signify Pallet Town. "We're here, and even though we have no clue where the Hunters' hideout is we can move around, looking for other trainers to join us." He moved his finger to Cerulean City. "First, though, we need to swing by the Cerulean City Gym to pick up the rest of Misty's Pokémon. We'll also stop at the Pewter City Gym to see if any of Brock's family is still there, or if any of his Pokémon are present."

Dawn frowned at hearing that Brock was missing as well. That certainly complicated things. She didn't want to hurt anyone but if that was the case...

"Gary, what about the Frontier Brains? Do you think any of them are still 'on the outside'?" Max asked, much calmer now that he knew there was a plan to retrieve his sister in place.

Gary blinked. "The Frontier Brains? Max, who are you talking about?"

Max gaped. "You don't who the Frontier Brains are? Where have you been? Ash beat all seven of them in a few months while May was training for the Grand Festival here in Kanto. He was even offered the job of Frontier Brain but turned it down to travel in Sinnoh!"

Paul snorted. "Idiot. He did the same thing when he won the Orange League at thirteen." Here Paul sneered. "Said he had 'more places to explore and Pokémon to see.'."

Paul's comment sparked something in Misty's mind. "Gary, what about the Orange League? We could see if they're available to help."

Gary nodded in agreement, smiling at Misty's comment, knowing that her memory was slowly returning.

"I agree. Hmm... who else do we know who might be able to help?"

Dawn slapped her forehead. "Duh! The Sinnoh Gym Leaders and Elite Four! They all went to that conference in Sunyshore but no one was there. They're still 'on the outside' and I'm sure that they'd be happy to help!" Turning to Paul she added, "I'm sure that your brother Reggie'd be glad to help too!"

"Joy," Paul muttered.

"Professor Rowan, his brother Palmer, nephew Barry and the rest of the Sinnoh Frontier Brains are still there; I just ran into Barry and his dad two weeks ago; literally," Kenny commented. "Barry was complaining about not having heard from Ash in months and how he wanted to battle with him."

Zoey nodded in agreement before an odd thought hit her. "Um, this is going to sound strange but what about legendary Pokémon?"

Gary stared into space for a moment before mentally cursing himself. "Why didn't I think of that?" Turning to his "group" he said, "You all know that Ash has an... affinity for the unusual and when it comes to legendary Pokémon it's no different. He's seen and interacted with over twenty legendary Pokémon in his years as a trainer."

May gaped. "That's, that's not possible! How? Legendaries are rare and they don't normally associate themselves with humans, especially to the extent that one person has personally met and interacted with over twenty of them!"

Gary grimly continued, "I kid you not. When I went for the Earth Badge in Viridian City the first time, I went up against Giovanni, former leader of Team Rocket." Ignoring the surprised looks he continued, "I beat his Golem and Kingler easily but his last Pokémon... it was Mewtwo. I couldn't do anything about him, but Ash managed to not only defeat him but befriend him. He's had interactions with Mewtwo, Mew, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Celebi, Shaymin, Rayquaza, Deoxys, Regiice, Regirock, Registeel, Giratina, Latios, Latias, Groudon, Kyogre, Dialga, Palkia and many, many more."

Max nodded. "Yeah, he has. He told me about them all. I've personally encountered Manaphy, Groudon, Kyogre, Deoxys, Rayquaza, Regiice, Regirock, Registeel, Latios, Latias, Articuno and... Jirachi." Max hesitated with Jirachi, still feeling the ache from all those years before when he'd lost the Wishing Pokémon whom he'd grown so close to over a short period of time.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, and I've seen Dialga, Palkia, Azelf, Mesprite, Uxie, Shaymin, Giratina, Cresselia, Darkrai, Regiice, Regirock, Registeel, Regigigas and I think it was Heatran." Paul, Kenny and Zoey merely stared at Dawn, shocked that they hadn't known about this beforehand.

Wes and Rui were amazed at the sheer number of legendaries that this group of trainers had seen. May was gaping in disbelief. Delia was humming under her breath, obviously having heard this before. It seemed that nothing about her son surprised her anymore.

Gary nodded. "Sounds like then we have a really good chance of getting the legendaries of helping, if only because they'll want to save Ash." Internally, Gary was pissed that he'd only had contact with **one** legendary Pokémon while everyone else'd had seen more than one; hell, Melody Glace had seen four! Why was he stuck with one, and he'd only encountered him during a totally one-sided battle with no further interaction than 'Oh my Mew, this Pokémon is too strong!' So not fair.

Max looked at Misty. "So Misty, do you remember any Legendary Pokémon you've had contact with while traveling?" Misty blinked, trying to remember.

"Oh!" The memories were slowly coming back and she remembered all of the Legendary Pokémon she'd encountered. "I've seen Mewtwo, Mew, Zapdos, Moltres, Celebi, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Latios, Latias and," Misty hesitated, wondering if she should tell those gathered about her last encounter and, after a moment decided to take the dive, "I actually have an Articuno."

The room literally erupted at Misty's statement. Paul was on his feet, demanding to see how powerful the Arctic bird Pokémon was, Dawn was trying to get Paul to drop his demand, Kenny and Zoey were both curious as to what a Legendary Pokémon looked like and so wished to see it. Max was twirling the same miniaturized Pokéball from earlier, not really caring while Delia continued humming, seemingly oblivious to the situation. Gary watched the pandemonium with an amused look while May giggled. Wes and Rui looked at each other, weighing the option of announcing that they owned Entei, Raikou and Suicune. They decided that they might as well do it now, rather than have a repeat performance of the scene in front of them.

Misty's temper was rising with each passing moment and soon enough, it exploded. Standing up she yelled, "Enough! Who cares if I own a Legendary Pokémon? All that matters is that I can use Articuno to help us take down these, these Hunters who want to capture me and who turned your, _our _friends evil!"

Rui nodded in agreement. "I agree with Misty. It's really not that big of a deal in owning Legendary Pokémon." Wes nodded his head at Rui; a silent signal. "Between Wes and me, we have the three Legendary Dogs – Entei, Raikou and Suicune."

Mouths dropped; even Max was shocked. Owning one Legendary Pokémon was amazing in and of itself; owning **three** Pokémon was practically unheard of and allowed Misty a sigh of relief. It wasn't just her anymore with the Legendary Pokémon. Even Gary was impressed. Looking around, he saw that he wasn't alone. 'This may be easier than I thought especially if these people – my friends –help me to take down these Phoenix Pokémon Hunters.' He clenched his hand together as he vowed to avenge Terri's death... and by Arceus, he would do it.


	30. There are Plans, and then there

**Disclaimer:** I've decided to auction off some items in order to raise money to get my team out of jail… at least my team's being taken care of, if only somewhat…

**A/N:** Just so you all know, I thought about the last name I chose for Drew and it makes, like, no sense. Therefore, I've decided to change it. I've chosen "Rhosyn", which is Welsh for rose. I believe it fits him and until I hear otherwise, that will be his name. Also, for Sakura, I've chosen the last name "Mariposa" for her four sisters and herself; it's Spanish for butterfly. Warning: scenes of death and talks of severe injuries are mentioned here; if you are squeamish, feel free to skip the pertinent parts. You have been warned.

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 30: There are Plans, and then there are **_**Those **_**Kinds of Plans...**

_**8:00 pm, June 3, 2005; Office of the Master Elder, Undisclosed Location**_

'Hmm... system readouts dictate that we are at maximum power. More trainers are here than ever before; the recruiters must be doing their jobs correctly. Excellent.' The Master Elder perused some documents behind his cherry wood desk, emerald eyes roving quickly over the ink-laden pages. 'Now, onto the Logs.'

The Logs were an essential part of the Master Elder's operation as they detailed what went down in his complex, even going so far as to identify possible trouble areas with certain people and/or partners. 'I see. Trouble again between those two? Honestly. Can they not keep their bickering down to a minimum level? Wait... I think I may have a solution.'

Clearing his throat, the Master Elder pressed a small red button on his desk, activating the public announcement system. "Trainers Birch, Rhosyn, Signit, Lagner, and Maple are needed in my office right away. That is all." As he finished his announcement an idea came to him. Pushing the same button again, he fiddled with a switch on the side of his desk, thereby ensuring that his next conversation was just going to be between him and his singular audience.

"Giovanni? My dear boy, are you there?" The Master Elder was most pleased with his oldest recruit. The former leader of Team Rocket had been ever so easy to take under his wing, superciliously believing that he would be able to turn the tables on the older gentleman once the time came. Needless to say, that hope had not materialized.

_**8:15 pm, June 3, 2005; Clinic, Undisclosed Location**_

Meanwhile, two floors beneath the Master Elder's office, Giovanni Luka, former leader of Team Rocket (not that he remembered) started upon hearing his boss' voice. Peeling off a pair of surgical gloves, Giovanni made his way to the PA box and, pressing a small green button responded, "Yes, Master Elder. I am here. What do you require?" His Persian, seated on top of his desk merely blinked at his master.

"_Giovanni, what is the status of the latest recruit?"_ Giovanni looked behind him to the young adult female whom he'd just finished examining. She was about five foot four, with cranberry-colored hair in two braids hanging over her shoulders and a gash on her forehead covered in white bandages.

"I just finished examining her, Master Elder. Except for a four-inch gash on her forehead, she's ready to be assigned a partner." He paused. "Did you have someone in mind?"

"_Yes, yes I do. Is she fit to be moved?"_

"Yes... would you like me to bring her to you?" Giovanni crossed his fingers, hoping that the Master Elder would respond in the negative. He hated looking at those emerald eyes; they gave him the creeps, for some reason, along with a feeling that he didn't normally act like a craven and submissive coward...

"_I believe so, Giovanni; unless, you have a problem with that?"_ The Master Elder's voice had turned from friendly to downright frosty. Giovanni found himself nervous beyond belief; no way in hell was he going to say that he hated being in the man's presence!

"No, absolutely not! I would be beyond honored to bring the young woman to you, Master Elder," Giovanni hurried to assure his boss. "Would you be in your office?"

"_But of course, Giovanni. Where else would I be?" _Giovanni didn't answer, knowing that it was a rhetorical question. _"Incidentally, what is the woman's name?"_

Giovanni gently pushed his Persian's paw off a stack of folders, ignoring the appalled hiss from the lithe feline before extracting a thin file folder marked with purple ink. Opening it, he flipped through a few papers before coming upon the name of the female. Pressing the green button again, he answered, "Her name is Sakura Mariposa."

"_Sakura Mariposa... hmm. Yes, she will do. Bring her upstairs as soon as she is ready, if you please. Make sure she has a uniform and her Pokémon with her."_ With that, the Master Elder turned off the PA system, leaving Giovanni looking at the file folder strangely. Shrugging, and knowing that he couldn't disobey his boss he closed the file and tossed it on his desk.

He walked over to Sakura and, reaching into his pocket pulled out a smelling salt and waved it underneath her nose, hoping that it would be enough to wake her up. He had had people before her that had not responded to the smelling salt, resulting in his Persian having to use a _Water Gun_ attack to wake them up; there had been cursing aplenty from that maneuver.

Luckily, however, the woman's light wine colored eyes fluttered open, glazed over in sleep. Looking around, they alighted on Giovanni before blinking a few times to adjust to the florescent light. "Where am I?"

"You're currently in the clinic," Giovanni responded smoothly, having perfected the pedestrian answer he gave to new recruits ages ago. "You were found unconscious outside, and brought here for treatment. How are you feeling?" Giovanni proceeded to shine a penlight into her eyes, keeping up the farce of him being a doctor. It had worked numerous times before and, damn it all, it would continue working. He then proceeded to grab a bandage from the table behind him and gently place it over Sakura's head wound.

"A bit woozy, but I think I'm otherwise fine," Sakura responded, slowly sitting up. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Where are my Pokémon?"

Giovanni, used to this response from a plethora of trainers answered, "They are on my desk. Persian made sure that nothing happened to them." The feline in question looked up from licking his paw, blinked lazily in the affirmative then returned to his task, his tail curled protectively around what appeared to be seven Pokéballs, all of them having a snowflake design carved into the top half of the capturing mechanisms. Sakura absently noted that the feline was very much like a normal Persian except for a navy blue dorsal stripe down the back with golden eyes, a startling change to the species' normal coloring.

"I see," Sakura responded; then, she looked down. "Uh, do you have anything less... revealing that I can wear?" Indeed, she was currently clad in a burnt orange hospital gown, which was open in the back and up the sides of her legs, leaving little to the imagination.

"Unfortunately, your original clothes were torn to shreds when you were brought in," Giovanni said as he moved over to a storage closet where the supplies were kept. This was, of course, a total lie. The woman's clothes were now in a storage bag in a vault underneath his office, where all of the recruits' original clothing was kept, a precept that the Master Elder had begun... hmm. Now that he thought about it, Giovanni couldn't remember when it was started, only that he had been told that he was to keep the recruits' initial garments in storage, no matter the state they were in. Of course, that meant that he knew Sakura's clothing sizes, but he was too much of a gentleman to merely toss her perfect fitting attire; he would ask. He was not obtuse; if he gave her perfectly-fitting clothes, there would be no hope of their ever trusting each other.

"Sakura, my dear, would you come over here and pick out clothing in your appropriate size?" He'd found that prattling on as if he was a gentle doctor who genuinely cared about their patients was an excellent means of lowering the recruits' shields. Sakura nodded hesitatingly, relieved when the man turned around, obviously too honorable to sneak a peek at her as she moved across the room. She shivered when her bare feet touched the cold metal floor; socks and shoes were to be the first order, then.

Sakura's eyebrow rose as she surveyed the array of clothing, noting that they were all in shades of red and black, with a few hints of white mixed in as well. Nonplussed, she reached in and pulled out the necessary undergarments, along with a pair of black jeans, a black tee shirt, a red jacket that, oddly enough, had a black phoenix emblazoned on the back and front, black boots that had steel toes (strange, that, but she had a premonition that she would need them), a red bandana with the black phoenix on it as well, a red belt with loops for her Pokéballs and black, fingerless gloves. Shrugging at the odd clothing, she quickly moved into the bathroom that she spotted, intending to change in private, thank you very much.

Giovanni took the time that Sakura utilized in getting dressed to clean up the examination area, sanitizing it for the next recruit, whom he was sure would be arriving in a few hours. That was how it worked, it seemed. He no sooner finished with one person when another one was given to him.

After finishing with the examination table, he threw on his red and black lab coat and quickly snatched the seven Pokéballs off the desk, transporting them to a machine hidden behind a curtain. Placing them inside a plastic container, he tossed seven empty Nightmare balls into a metal case opposite the plastic one and, flipping several switches watched as the seven Pokémon were quickly and innocuously transferred into the Nightmare balls, a requirement for which he was not sure of the exact reasoning. He only understood that he had to do it before any recruit was given his or her Pokémon back. After a moment, a small 'ding' signaled that the process was done, and as Giovanni extracted the seven Nightmare balls, he heard the door to the bathroom open.

"Sir?" Sakura asked uncertainly, arms crossed over her chest protectively. Somehow, she'd grabbed a cropped tee shirt and not a regular one but, not wanting to sound unappreciative for all of the hospitality that the doctor had shown her had resigned herself to wearing the somewhat revealing clothing article.

"My, you do look lovely, if I must say so," Giovanni eloquently complimented, handing the Nightmare balls to the woman. "Here are your Pokémon. Now, I have to tell you," his voice changed to be somewhat insouciant, "my boss has requested that he meet you and assess whether or not he is capable of locating the person or thing that did harm to you." Sakura nodded uncertainly, believing what she was being told, but also feeling like she was walking into the Sharpedo's trap, as it was.

"Um, alright, I guess. Where is he?" She took the Nightmare balls (Giovanni watched with Pidgeot-like eyes as the woman insensibly hooked the balls to her belt without taking notice of their having been changed to Nightmare balls) and looked to the doctor for a response.

"Follow me, Sakura," Giovanni said and, flicking a finger Persian jumped down and trotted over to his trainer, purring as Giovanni scratched behind his ears. As the man and Persian moved towards the door, Sakura, not used to steel-tipped boots gauchely followed.

The traverse through the hallways confused Sakura, who was not used to seeing so many bare metal walls. Giovanni, irritatingly enough, seemed to know his way around the halls perfectly; his steps never faltered. After a few minutes, Giovanni halted at an elevator and, pushing an almost invisible button leaned back on the balls of his feet. Sakura tried to remember the way back to the clinic, but all she remembered were the homogenous-looking walls, byzantine in their setup, all tinted silver-gray.

A chime signaled the arrival of the elevator, and as Sakura followed Giovanni and Persian into the box, she began to feel funny, as if something was moving in her head. Clutching her cranium, Sakura stumbled backwards until she hit the wall, spots spinning in front of her eyes. Giovanni said nothing; although, that could have been because he too was feeling a tad different. He felt as if pieces of his mind were rearranging themselves. Persian's golden eyes watched his master worriedly, knowing something was going on that he didn't exactly comprehend; however, he did know that for over two years now, his master had been acting most bizarre. Yet, no matter how much he tried to communicate with his master that something was wrong, there remained an imperturbable air around his master, one that he couldn't break through, no matter how many times he attempted to do so.

All of the above occurred in a matter of minutes, and as another chime sounded, the elevator's doors opened, presenting Giovanni, Persian and Sakura with a hallway that was lined in rich teak and cherry woods, a red and black rug running the length of the route from the metal box to a door inlaid with gold filigree. As the three visitors walked to the door, Sakura's memories began emerging. She had been part of the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters for a scant few weeks, but had already moved up the ranks to the extent that she had been granted the honor and privilege of meeting the Master Elder face-to-face for the very first time. Granted, that meant that there were numerous Grunts who were jealous as a Latios, but she couldn't care less. She was all that mattered; well, the Master Elder was above her, but that was a given.

"Master Giovanni, do you think that I will make a good impression looking like this?" Sakura asked, sounding much more confident than previously. Persian tilted his head, aware that the woman had not sounded like she knew exactly what she was supposed to be doing before leaving the metal box... hmm. This would require some thought...

Giovanni smirked. "Absolutely, my dear. You are stunning, as usual." Persian was even more curious. His master was acting as if he had known the woman for more time than a half-hour; odd, that.

As the group of three halted in front of the door, Giovanni knocked in a code that Sakura quickly memorized; security was a must, after all. A minute later, the doors opened and Giovanni entered and bowed deeply, Sakura quickly copying him. Persian slinked into the shadows, hoping to avoid detection; for the moment, it seemed as if he was successful.

As Giovanni straightened, he was treated to five quick sketches of bows from the young adults gathered in front of the Master Elder's desk, uniforms pristine and untainted by filth. The Master Elder's emerald eyes glowed.

Sakura was then noticed and five heads simultaneously tilted, owners curious about the new... specimen. The Master Elder, sensing this curiosity smirked in specious amusement before molding his face to that of a welcoming grin.

"My dear, welcome. I am truly sorry that you were attacked, and promise that we will endeavor to find your attackers," the Master Elder started, intending to ensure that this Sakura Mariposa was loyal to him, and only him.

Sakura smirked before fluidly dropping to one knee out of respect. "Master Elder, it would do you well to dispense with the pleasantries. I am here to serve you in whatever position you require."

Brendan, smirking, opened his mouth to respond to the chasm left to him, but Sakura added, "Oh, and in case you've forgotten, Birch, I've conquered you once before and will do so again." Brendan's jaw abruptly dropped at the double innuendo in the woman's words, effectively silencing him. Ritchie and Drew snickered while Casey and May smirked. This was beyond amusing, and it had the potential to become more so.

"Ah, I am pleased that you have gotten a chance to further solder the bonds of partnership," the Master Elder nonchalantly said, gathering horrified looks from Brendan and Sakura, both of whom were looking significantly paler. The snickers and smirks looked bigger, and then faded as the Master Elder turned his look to the other four adults. "In fact, you will all be reassigned to different partners. I feel the switch necessary. Giovanni is here to act as a witness." The brown-haired man titled his head in acknowledgement.

"Are you sane, sir?" Ritchie asked cautiously, mentally wincing at the accusatory tone in his voice. Sure that he was going to be punished he kept his eyes on the ground.

The Master Elder, rather than frowning abruptly burst into laughter, startling those gathered in his office. After a minute, he answered, "I'm perfectly sagacious, Mr. Lagner. I would appreciate some confidence in this matter. After all, I have been in this business for decades." Relieved, Ritchie sketched a quick bow before retreating to rest beside Casey, who shot him a smile.

Brendan and Sakura had taken the time to move to opposite ends of the office, glaring at each other, recalcitrant in appearance. Oblivious, or, perhaps, hoping to reassert control the Master Elder ignored the hostile looks being shot at the two young adults by each other and cleared his throat. This effectively drew all attention to himself once again. Looking around, he smiled as he saw that all seven people were looking at him, waiting for orders or words as to what to do next.

"Very well then. It has come to my attention that matters are slowing down around here due to constant bickering and infighting." The Master Elder paused, allowing for repentant looks to be exchanged between Brendan and Drew. "Therefore, I have decided to reorganize some of my top partnerships."

Giovanni, having taken to leaning against a wall smirked. The six young adults were obviously nervous; he could feel it rolling off them in waves. Persian, crouched in the corner felt his whiskers quivering. The emerald-eyed man was up to something, and he was determined to find out exactly what that was.

The Master Elder withdrew a small sheet of lined paper from amidst a pile of file folders and, looking at the gathered adults said, "Here's what will happen. Not only will the partnerships change, but room assignments will as well. I trust you six to behave yourselves," he looked up at the adults menacingly. "No funny business."

"Does this mean we're getting co-ed assignments?" Casey asked eyes glinting. "Because, honestly, I'd much prefer that over rooming with you, May." The brown-haired Hunter merely smirked in agreement.

The Master Elder nodded. "Indeed it does, Miss Signit. However, if I find out that anything inappropriate has occurred heads will roll." Looking down at his paper again, he continued, "Boys, instead of the three of you working together, each of you will be partnered with a female counterpart. This will, hopefully, balance out brains with brawn." Emerald eyes caught the crossed fingers of Drew and Brendan, both hoping that May would be their partner.

'Sorry to disappoint, but one of you will be most unhappy. Ah well. These things happen,' the Master Elder thought, inwardly smirking.

"Mr. Lagner and Miss Signit: you will be working together. You will be assigned room 4569, fourth floor, closest to the south wing. You will be in charge of training the new recruits who are still without a partner." The two aforementioned trainers gave each other high fives before smirking at the remaining four adults.

"Mr. Rhosyn and Miss Maple: you two will be together. You will be in room 4571, fourth floor, and will assist in the training of the new Pokémon that are without partners." Drew flicked a strand of emerald-tined hair before throwing a rather large smirk at May, who folded her arms across her chest and smirked in reply, hip tilted to the side.

Brendan, realizing who his new partner was going to be scowled angrily and proceeded to hit his head against the wall upon which he had leaned; Sakura, meanwhile, proceeded to mutter obscenities under her breath, both vowing not to let their rancorous relationship fall apart. After all, resentment was the best way they knew to follow orders. Giovanni watched the young adults' motions with a sense of morbid amusement; Persian, meanwhile, wrinkled his nose in disgust. Honestly, this "Master Elder" was going to be trouble. He'd deliberately chosen the pairings he did to facilitate the mating of these trainers for an unknown reason and, if his premonitions were correct the two recalcitrant adults would soon be doing something else more... productive.

"As you realize, Mr. Birch, you and Miss Mariposa are partners. You are in room 4567, fourth floor, and will be assisting with the active recruitment." The Master Elder regarded the two adults sternly. "I expect any destructive behaviors to take place outside of this base. Is that understood?" At the nods he received, the Master Elder dismissed Giovanni, who bowed before parting. Persian, still hidden by the shadows managed to follow his master out without being caught and branded as a spy of some kind. If the label had stuck, Persian would, most likely, be caught and either tortured or killed.

The Master Elder turned to the three new partnerships and, smirking imperturbably added, "I expect each of you to quickly plan a workable method for not only continuing to recruit new trainers and Pokémon, but also ending any… inimical behaviors among other recruits." Turning to Drew and Brendan he added dryly, "I expect the two of you especially to downplay the amount of public fighting seen. Rest assured that I will know if you two decide to revert back to Neanderthals."

Drew and Brendan shot poisonous glances at each other before bowing to the Master Elder's wishes, muttering acceptances of his commands. May and Sakura let out long-suffering, nonplussed sighs at their new partners' actions; honestly, they acted as if they were five year-olds bickering over a fake Nightmare Ball instead of young adults, near the top of the ladder of the Master Elder's beloved workers.

"Very well. You are dismissed." The six young adults bowed once more before leaving, with Ritchie and Casey talking eagerly about how they were going to train the new recruits, heads bent together. Drew and May walked out in stony silence but, soon enough a giggle was heard from the brown-haired Hunter. The Master Elder inherently knew that the emerald-haired Hunter had cracked some kind of joke to his partner in an attempt to dispel the dismal atmosphere. Apparently, he was successful.

Finally, the newest pair glared at each other as they walked out the door, Brendan's eyes sparking dangerously. Sakura, rather than being obsequious or standing down, planted her fists on her hips and glared right back. Of course, it helped the Master Elder in that the door hadn't been closed, allowing him full access to the mini-drama occurring just outside his office.

"You are a piece of work, Birch. You know that?" Sakura grumbled light wine-red eyes narrowed. "It's no wonder that Maple didn't give you the time of day."

Brendan's fists clenched. "Bullshit. You leave her out of it!"

"Oh? Why should I?"

"May's one of the nicest, most considerate people here!" Brendan shot back, moving closer to his new partner, who eyed him warily, ready to jump back in case he attacked her. "She's better than anyone else here!"

"You think that you are a match for her?" Sakura asked arms crossed over her chest. She observed with amusement that Brendan's eyes strayed to her bosom for a second before snapping back to her face. The Master Elder noted this with a smirk.

"Absolutely!" Brendan declared, confidence dripping off the word in droves. Sakura scoffed.

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that, Romeo." She looked at her obdurate partner before shaking her head mockingly. "Poor baby. I cannot wait to see your face when you realize that your _precious_ May isn't as pure as you might think." Walking past Brendan, she trailed a finger up along his jaw before the neophyte strode towards elevator, hips swaying. Brendan violently blinked before frowning and stalking after his partner, hackles literally raised.

As the Master Elder moved to close his office door, he smirked. 'Perfect. You are truly a genius.' He returned to his desk and, digging into the ever-growing pile of manila and black folders pulled out a bright red sticky note. Scowling at the scribbled message, thoughts ran rampant with devious plans for revenge.

"Mark my words, Oak," the Master Elder muttered as he crumbled the note in his fist. "I will get you... and that girl, too."

_**7:00 am, June 7, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Seven days had passed since Gary's little team that he'd assembled to go and hunt down the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters had swelled from two, possibly three members to ten members. As a result, the young Oak was fairly confident that this gamble was going to be a success. Now, if only he could get everyone to get along…

"Pipsqueak," Paul muttered underneath his breath as he dodged a karate chop from Max, whose eyes sparked dangerously. When the Veilstone City native had suggested that the group learn to rely more on themselves just in case they were ever separated from their Pokémon, Gary had taken the idea and run with it… leading to six am practices.

Max growled and muttered obscenities underneath his breath before ducking low and swiping at the purple-haired man's feet. Teeth gritted as his target effortlessly jumped over said feet, smirking in reply. Pausing a second, Max lunged for Paul, and when the man avoided him, Max smirked. Reacting quickly, Max pounced on Paul's legs, an unexpected move, and after a few moments of instability on Paul's part, the man was brought down. Max stood victorious.

"Ha! Beat ya there, huh?" Max exclaimed, grinning. He offered a hand for Paul to take and, reluctantly, the purple-haired man took the offer of help.

Paul smirked. "Guess so." The man brushed dirt off his gi before sketching a quick bow at Max out of respect for his finally winning a match against his sensei.

"So, when are we going to leave?" Max asked, grabbing his water bottle off the sidelines. Upon receiving a curious look, Max compounded, "I mean, Gary talks to you more than me, and I just want to know if there's a plan in place for rescuing my sister." He chugged the liquid for a moment before continuing, "I mean, she's been missing for months, and I never thought that she was even missing. She's always gone for weeks without getting in contact with us, and I didn't think anything was out of the ordinary."

Paul winced. Geez, it sounded as if the pipsqueak was looking for some kind of reassurance... and Arceus knows that he was not the best one to do something of that character. He was too miserly and, as Reggie told him so often, peremptory. Really, he give advice? Please.

"Listen. We are going to win." Paul then nodded at Max then moved to go take a shower. If the Hoenn brat expected something more... mushy, then he truly deserved to be called a loser.

Max blinked then shook his head. Honestly, why had he expected something different? Oh, right. He always looked for Ash or Brock to pop up and loudly proclaim that things would return to normality soon enough. Faith and confidence were all that needed. However, with all of the missing trainers, including his sister and her friends, plus the current Pokémon League Champion and his personal Elite Four, well, Max wasn't too sure of anything at the moment, among them his ability to save May.

Shaking his head, Max told himself to remain positive, that he would be successful, come hell or high water. With this thought in mind, Max gathered up his towel and water and moved towards Oak's mansion. A shower sounded _very_ nice about now...

_**7:30 am, June 7, 2005; Laboratory, Oak Homestead, Pallet Town, Kanto Region**_

Meanwhile, stragglers from the karate lessons stumbled into the kitchen, many covered in grass-stained gi; therefore, none of them were feeling personable. Many shot glares at the remaining Sinnoh trainers, all three of whom were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffee, tea and a mocha latté respectively. Apparently, they were much more advanced than the majority of the trainers, as evidenced by their fighting against each other in two hour long battles, shocking everyone else gathered.

"Enjoy the morning workouts?" Kenny asked, smirking. He got a perverse sense of enjoyment at seeing others struggle to even get the basics down pat, something he had been training in since the age of five, thanks to his crazy-as-hell grandmother and her Hitmonchan.

Wes' glare was so intense that Dawn and Zoey exchanged worried looks, afraid that they would have to rescue Kenny from the Orre trainer. Rui, sensing that a brawl could potentially break out grabbed her husband's arms and dragged him out of the room by force, knowing that Wes' penchant for trouble-making was on the brink of causing _another_ incident... one that she would be forced to clean up, as usual.

Once the couple from Orre had left, Zoey swatted her boyfriend on the back of his head, hissing a string of mild insults at him. Dawn nodded emphatically in agreement despite Kenny's pleading look, asking her to intervene on his behalf. The Oaks plus Misty walked in at that moment and, eyeing the angry females and repentant male decided not to interfere… well, Misty and May instantly took seats to console their newfound comrades while Gary made a run for it.

Paul, upon walking into the kitchen was somehow dragged to the table and, after hearing the topic of conversation shot a dark glare at Kenny, who gulped nervously. Damn, this was going to end badly… and Max, upon arrival somehow managed to bypass the gaggle of adults and escape upstairs to claim a shower, smirking as he did so.

After a few minutes, Zoey and Dawn had calmed down enough to thank everyone for listening to their woes unnecessarily and moved to help Delia and Mimey make breakfast, chatting merrily; crisis was averted. Those who had worked out earlier chose to shower so as to not incur the wrath of Mimey, who was an absolute clean freak… which, strangely, extended to bodily odors. Paul grabbed the brown-haired coordinator and pulled him outside to have a little… chat; and, of course, Kenny's pleas to his girlfriend and best friend to help him fell on deaf ears. Kenny was silent for the rest of the morning.

After the delicious breakfast had been eaten and dishes washed and dried, Gary once more convened what Max had called "the War Council". Some, like Paul, thought the name childish and others, such as Dawn, believed the name appropriate for its purpose, which was to figure out how to go about taking down the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters. Either way, the living room had been turned into a headquarters, papers pinned up on the walls and maps spread out on all of the flat surfaces available. Scrawls in markers of all different colors could be seen, red "x's" dotting most of the maps, signifying where the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters had struck. It was depressing, to say the least, that about ninety percent of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn were covered in bright red "x's", resulting in faltering confidence that they rescue attempt would succeed.

"So, what's today's agenda?" Misty asked Gary as she entered the room behind the cinnamon-haired trainer. Gary merely grabbed a stack of papers and sat in what had been termed "the leader's chair" or, in other words, the comfiest armchair in the room. The rest of the group took whatever seats were left open; Delia and Mimey had decided to tackle the mostly abandoned formal dining room, hell-bound to get rid of the multitude of dust bunnies that made their home in the carpeted room. The room hadn't been used since May and Gary's parents had... _left_ when Gary was just three and May six.

Gary took a moment to answer, and when he did surprise was seen on the room's occupants' faces. "We are going to plan a departure date."

"Already?" Rui asked absently tugging on a strand of her hair, a nervous twitch that signaled her nervousness. Wes eyed the motion, sensing how nervous his wife was about confronting these Phoenix Pokémon Hunters. Of course, he wasn't too anxious to do this either, but he was hell-bound to not let his... well, dream-vision come true. He actually liked the male Oak... more so than Cain anyway.

Gary nodded as he took a black sharpie out from behind his ear and scribbled something on a piece of poster board that he had propped up on his knees. After a moment, he asked, "Any word on when our allies are going to arrive?"

Dawn, having volunteered to get into contact with her Sinnoh friends cleared her throat. "Actually, yeah. Cynthia said that she, the Sinnoh Elite Four and the Gym Leaders will be here in about five days." Gary nodded, jotting that piece of information down on the poster.

"No chance of our communications being intercepted?"

Dawn shook her head. "Nope. Zoey helped me hack into Cynthia's private line and secure it with like a million firewalls and viruses, so anyone stupid enough to try to eavesdrop will have their entire electrical system collapse." Gary smirked. Devious; he liked it.

"Great. How about Professor Rowan?"

Kenny, having remained silent up to now for fear of being on the receiving end of another of Paul's vicious glares (... not that he was afraid, mind you...) perked up. "Yeah, I got in touch with Barry. Barry said that he's en route, and Prof. Rowan's going to contact his brother Palmer and the Sinnoh Frontier Brains. They'll be here in about two weeks."

Gary scowled. "That's too long." He glanced up. "Why so long?"

Kenny shrugged. "Something about closing up the Battle Frontier and dealing with irate Pokémon. I didn't catch it all as Barry started ranting about Ash's stupidity in getting caught." Paul smirked at this, in total agreement with both Kenny and his buddy.

May shook her head. Looking over at Max she asked, "How about the Hoenn Frontier Brains?"

Max stopped spinning his Gardevoir's Pokéball and, sitting up straight dug into his jacket pocket and drew out a silver disc. Tossing it to Gary, he responded, "That's from Anabel, the Salon Maiden. Her Alakazam risked a lot in getting it to us; he had to stay for two full hours which included eating an entire container of Oran Berries before he could self-teleport back to the Tohjo Falls."

Gary caught the disc out of the air and, handing the object off to Misty said, "ETA?"

Max shrugged. "Hard to say. Alakazam told Gardevoir to tell me to watch the disc first as it has important information on it."

Misty finished putting the disc into the DVD player and after a few moments her face went pale. "Guys, look at this." She stepped out of the way and the rest of the group's faces blanched. Scene after scene of utter devastation could be seen, the massacred bodies of dozens of Pokémon littering the ground. Blood poured from gaping wounds, among them an Arcanine and Marowak, both of which had Gary clenching his fists in anger. He personally owned both those Pokémon, so for them to be shown, dead, was a message to him.

The image was soon replaced by that of a short, purple-haired woman, lavender eyes haunted. _"Max, the situation here is dire. Scott's out acting as a scout for any potential deserters we can get on our side and Brandon is in Sinnoh trying to reawaken Giratina, but he's not having an easy time of it. Noland's left to find Articuno, but I believe he's been captured; we haven't heard from him in a month. Greta's fallen to the Hunters, and Spenser has a concussion and a broken wrist. Tucker's out right now looking for food of any kind and Lucy's arm is infected with some kind of poison and no matter what we do it's spreading. I'm afraid that we're going to have to amputate it. Me, well," _the camera zoomed back to review a deep scar that traveled down from Anabel's chin to the top of her bosom, barely seen underneath a black tank top. _"This is the least of my worries. We need help now, Max. I don't know how much longer we can last." _She paused then added softly,_ "If Ash is there, tell him that the Pokémon are screaming in pain; I've been hearing them so much that I can't sleep." _It was true: the black bags underneath Anabel's eyes told the story. _"I don't know who attacked us... but we need help. Most of our Pokémon fainted long ago and we've run out of medical supplies. I do know that it was a group of trainers led by an electric-type user; his voice was the only thing we saw or heard before it all went to hell." _Haunted eyes looked at the camera once more_. "We're at the place where two lands meet. Please, hurry." _The image then faded to static, leaving the entire room engulfed in a horrific silence.

"Oh god," Dawn choked out, hand covering her mouth in horror. She buried her head on Paul's shoulder, the purple-haired trainer's arm automatically wrapping around his girlfriend's shoulder, tense.

"That, that was Anabel?" May whispered her eyes wide in shock. At Max's solemn nod, her expression became determined. "How far is it to the Tohjo Falls?"

Max thought for a moment before responding, "I think it's about five hours, if we go full-out with no rest."

"Done." May leapt to her feet and became a whirlwind of activity, searching through reams of papers for a map that would take the group from Pallet Town to the Tohjo Falls, which connected Kanto and Johto. She was halted by Gary's hand on her arm.

"What are you doing?"

May glared and Misty now knew where her cousin got his glare from; his sister had patented it. "_I _am going to rescue the Frontier Brains and nothing you say is going to stop me!" The glare turned to confusion when Gary smirked.

"Who said anything about me stopping you? I'm coming _with_ you."

"But what about stopping by the Pewter and Cerulean Gyms?"

Gary shook his head. "I feel that this is more important as the Frontier Brains' lives are at stake. What we'll do is rescue the Frontier Brains, bring them back here and then move on to Pewter City."

Max shook his head. "Nice plan, but that'd take too much time. How about we split up?" Upon receiving looks he continued, "I mean it. We have enough trainers that we can do it effectively. For example, I'd take Wes, Rui, Paul, Dawn and May with me to the Tohjo Falls to rescue the Frontier Brains. Gary, Misty, Kenny and Zoey would head for Pewter City to see if any of Brock's family is there, and then to Cerulean City to pick up the rest of Misty's Pokémon. Mrs. Ketchum can stay here and any allies that arrive will have somewhere to stay rather than just camping out in the wilderness. Sound like a plan?"

Gary mulled it over for a few minutes before nodding. "Perfect. ETD?"

"I'd say two hours. The sooner we can get to the Frontier Brains the more chance there will be of saving them."

"Done."

With that, the planning room became mass chaos as bodies flew, gathering up pertinent materials, exchanging PokéGear/Pokétch/PokéNav numbers, along with cell phone keys. Then, with Zoey and Wes' help these numbers were encoded and guarded against wiretapping or eavesdropping functions; if by some Arceus-knows miracle the wires were tapped, then the entire electrical system on the other side would collapse and remain nonfunctional for days. Finally, a break was taken when Delia called for lunch. She really was the best cook, with Wes attesting to this fact, smirking when Rui hit him about his comment on her burnt lamb legs.

Finally, the planning room had been semi-organized and everyone was ready to go. The large group of people had divided themselves up, one set to run for Tohjo Falls and rescue the remainder of the Frontier Brains, while the other was going to hit Pewter and Cerulean Cities in a search for the rest of Brock's family and Misty's Pokémon. The team leaders were Max and Gary respectively, and after informing Delia about what was going to take place, the two teams set off. Max's team took to the air, flying on the backs of Pidgeot, Honchkrow, Staravia and Flygon to the Indigo Plateau Headquarters; from there, they would travel by foot and Pokémon to the Tohjo Falls. Gary's team set off on Arcanine, Stantler, and Typholsion to the entrance of the Viridian Forest; from there, they'd either fly over the forest or run through it to Pewter City and, from there, to Mt. Moon and Cerulean City.

Phase one had begun.


	31. Tohjo Falls

**Disclaimer:** The auction house where I decided to have my sale just closed its doors for no apparent reason, so I guess that my team'll have to wait while I scout out a new location... damn.

**A/N:** Note: I am taking some liberties in regards to the attack sets of various Pokémon. If something needs explained, I'll do it but otherwise, please refrain from disparaging comments. Also, I find the idea of a Pokémon only being able to use four moves at one time foolish; Pokémon are such intelligent creatures that I think they'd remember all, if not most, of their attacks no matter what. Hence, each Pokémon will know more than four moves. Warning: this chapter is a bit dark, with cursing, talk of death and injuries. If you are squeamish, feel free to skip the pertinent parts. You have been warned.

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers/Telepathic Conversations

_Attacks_: Pokémon Attacks

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 31: Tohjo Falls**

_**2:00 pm, June 7, 2005; En Route to Tohjo Falls, Kanto Region**_

As Max's group flew towards the place "where two lands meet", the Hoenn native's mind was whirling.

'What in Arceus is going on that the Frontier Brains couldn't defend themselves? That yells out 'warning', possibly trap, to me, but what else can I do? I mean, there's only so much that we can do, and if their Pokémon are so worn out that their flyers may not be strong enough to get them out of there, then I hope that our Pokémon will be enough.' He unconsciously fingered his Gardevoir's Pokéball, drawing strength from her psychic reassurances that this rescue plan would succeed.

"Max, how much further?" May Oak called out, her Pidgeot echoing the question. Max's Staravia chirped a reply, causing Pidgeot to return the favor.

Max thought for a moment before replying, "Thirty minutes at the most."

Paul, seated on Honchkrow snorted. "If these people are as strong as they are rumored to be, then how in the hell were they defeated so easily?" Dawn, arms wrapped around her boyfriend's waist scowled but didn't say anything, curious as well.

Max didn't reply, his Staravia flying underneath an overhanging branch (they were flying fairly close to the tops of the trees to prevent their being spotted by any Phoenix Pokémon Hunters), the other three Pokémon following his lead.

"Perhaps they were overpowered," Wes suggested rubbing his Flygon's neck in reassurance. The Pokémon was a bit spooked by all of the colors around him, more used to the desert environment of the Orre Region.

"It's possible," Max replied narrowing his eyes as the familiar Mt. Silver came into view. "We're coming up on Indigo League Headquarters now. Tohjo Falls is about thirty miles from here, but there's no more cover. We need to switch to the ground." With these words, he angled Staravia to head towards the ground, which she did without question. Paul scowled by obeyed, knowing (but refusing to admit it) that he was blind in the area because he had no knowledge of the terrain. As the quartet of flying Pokémon landed, they were recalled in beams of red light.

"Let's keep moving," Max said as he called out Dodrio, the three-headed bird Pokémon bobbing his heads in greeting. In a flash of white light, a Rapidash, Stantler, Girafarig and Gabite materialized. As the group of six mounted their Pokémon, with Rui deciding to hitch a ride with May because she'd never seen the fire horse before Max turned his Dodrio around and gave some advice.

"For those of you not familiar with the region, be careful of potholes. Noland told me once that wild Steelix and Onix love to burrow underneath the roads to weaken the foundations. If we don't tread lightly, then there's a high probability that we'll fall underground, making it that much harder to reach Tohjo Falls." Ignoring Paul's arched eyebrow of disbelief, he continued, "We also need to keep a lookout for wild Ursaring, Marowak, Furret and Magmar; they love to jump out of the numerous caves along the path and scare unsuspecting trainers to steal their food."

"It's true," May chimed in petting her Rapidash on the neck. "When I was here on a research trip a few years ago with Tracey, we stumbled upon a small depression in the ground and were surprised by a group of Marowak and Furret who not only pushed us into the hole but stole our entire stash of supplies." She chuckled. "It's a good thing that we came prepared with some money or we'd have been in real trouble."

"Is story time over?" Paul demanded arms crossed. Gabite, who was beneath him only growled in agreement. Max rolled his eyes and nodded yes; with that, the trainers set out a brisk pace for Tohjo Falls.

_**3:00 pm, June 7, 2005; Hidden Basement of Battle Salon, Tohjo Falls, Kanto Region**_

"Finally!" Lucy Serpia exclaimed tiredly eyes rimmed in red. Tucker Tactique, clothed in plain khaki pants and a mulberry tank top (a radical change from his usual clothing when he'd battled trainers in the Battle Dome) glared at her, not at all like his usual outgoing and personable aura.

"Just for that, here," Tucker spat throwing an Oran Berry to the Pike Queen, who barely managed to catch it with her functioning arm. The other one was wrapped in bandages, which while once white were now turning a deadly-appearing black. Anabel Lunara, seated across from Lucy rolled her eyes, knowing that even though Brandon had put her in charge of the survivors while he took the Battle Pyramid to Sinnoh to awaken Regigigas and, hopefully, get the Legendary on their side Tucker never listened to her.

"Tucker, calm down," Spenser Natura commanded eyes narrowed. His broken wrist was currently wrapped in a sling and rested across his chest. His head was also wrapped in bandages from where a Cubone's _Bone Rush_ had grazed him. From Anabel's analysis, Spenser was damn lucky that the injury hadn't been closer to his cerebral cortex; if so, he'd likely be dead now.

Tucker bowed then brushed past the Palace Maven, fingering a blood-covered Pokéball. Spenser shook his head.

"He still hurts," Spenser whispered hand clutched around his staff. He bowed his head. "We shouldn't be so hard on him. His best friend was recently lost, as was his partner-in-crime." He cast a sad look over to the corner, where a white sheet covered a wood casket containing the still form of the former Arena Tycoon, Greta Juudo. Greta had fallen a week ago, the same time as the unwelcome attack from the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters while defending a group of young trainers and fellow martial artists from the attack. Her Pokémon had almost all fallen protecting her, except for her Shedinja and Umbreon, which had been rescued by Tucker and were being nursed back to health by said trainer. A Scizor's _Slash _attack had toppled the seemingly invincible Arena Tycoon, her dojo now resting in timbers and splinters.

"He's not the only one!" Lucy sniped, eyes narrowing. "We've all lost people we've cared about; hell, I lost Milotic!" True, Lucy's serpentine, Water-type had fallen in battle to a Raichu's _Thunder_ and _Zap Cannon_ combination, her dying cries continuing to haunt her trainer. As Lucy had rushed to cradle her dying Pokémon, a Skuntank had emerged from the shrubbery surrounding the ruins of Greta's dojo and had bitten the Pike Queen's arm. Even though Spenser had tried to remove the poison from his fellow Frontier Brain's arm every method that he'd attempted had utterly failed. Now, not only did Lucy have to deal with the excruciating pain of a deadly poisoned body limb, but the death of her best friend Greta and Milotic had shattered the normally unflappable calm that surrounded the offensive expert.

Spenser's look had no effect on Lucy as Anabel had gotten to her feet, eyes narrowed. Holding up a hand for silence, she strained to understand what she'd just thought she'd heard.

"What's wrong, _Lila_?" Tucker mocked from his position at the rear of the room, Greta's Shedinja in his arms, her Umbreon hanging over his shoulders. "Are you hearing things?"

Anabel's furious lavender eyes met those of her underling (according to Brandon, she was technically the most skilled of the Frontier Brains after the Pyramid King, therefore she had power and clout that Tucker, the newest of the Kanto Frontier Brains could only dream of) and she hissed, "Tucker, stand down." Tucker's eyes narrowed and he leaned against the doorjamb, scowling.

Lucy looked at her friend, a bit shocked at the vehement tone in Anabel's voice. "Anabel?"

The Salon Maiden didn't say anything her eyes still narrowed at Tucker. Finally, after a few minutes she took a deep breath and, turning around grimly smiled.

"It's nothing, Lucy. Just relax." Anabel smiled again before moving towards the hidden entrance to the basement of her arena. Spenser sighed and slid a glance at Tucker, who was absently petting Umbreon, the shadow Pokémon softly purring, a white bandage covering one eye.

'We are all falling apart here, and unless something happens to save us, I cannot even begin to imagine what Kyogre above has in store for us.' His eyes closed tiredly.

Anabel had practically stalked off after putting Tucker in his place to an enclosed niche in the wall that even Spenser had no clue existed. Opening the door, she glanced around before entering, the soft click ensuring that she was alone. Glancing around, she sighed, eyes closing tiredly. "I can't do this anymore."

"_What is the matter?"_ came a rumbling voice and Anabel glanced down at a small crack that she'd created for this purpose. Anabel reached out and, grasping the object in her hand drew it out slowly.

"_I can't do this. I'm not strong, and I'm afraid."_

The rumble continued to echo in Anabel's mind. _"My Chosen One, do not fret. You can do this. I have faith in you, just as the Lost One did."_

Anabel wiped away a stray tear. _"She's gone. I, we, we couldn't save her."_ The rumble had been replaced by a low growl, soothing her.

"_I am sorry to hear that you lost a Sister, but remember this. All is not lost."_ The voice's inflection had become less comforting and more decisive. _"You will succeed. Of that, I have little doubt."_

Anabel opened her mouth to reply when an explosion went off a few feet above ground. Panicking, she stuffed the object – a dim shaft of light revealing it to be a Master Ball – into her pocket and threw open the door, not caring if anyone found it. She was needed.

_**3:45 pm, June 7, 2005; Fifty Feet above the Hidden Basement of Battle Salon, Tohjo Falls, Kanto Region**_

Indeed, fifty feet above ground, a group of Phoenix Pokémon Hunters stood, hoods raised over their heads. A pair of Dugtrio were burrowing downwards into the earth, streams of dirt flying from the ever-widening hole. A few feet away, a Raichu and a Manectric were using _Iron Tail_ to send shockwaves into the earth to try to locate any underground buildings. Then, a few feet away from the Electric-types, a rather large Steelix was blasting a _Hyper Beam_ into the ground, attempting to scare out any of the Frontier Brains that may be camping out somewhere in the wilderness.

"Where in the hell are they?" a loud, booming voice asked, anger lacing the words. The origin of said voice was a tall figure, muscles evident through the regulation uniform. However, this figure had done something different to it: he'd torn the sleeves off, leaving ragged edges to expose bulging muscles. A glint of silver could be seen hanging around his neck, and a pair of dark sunglasses hung from a pocket.

A smaller hand lightly touched his forearm, calming him down immensely. "Peace, Lieutenant. We shall find them." The hand belonged to a petite figure, and from the uniform it was obvious that the second figure was female. Nothing could be seen of her due to the presence of the hood, but a Bellsprout hung around her shoulders, its roots dangling down her back.

The man shifted his arm and responded, "Guess so. We'll just have ta see, huh?" He aimed this comment at the woman standing beside him but in the next moment he was sprinting across the field to where the pair of Dugtrio were digging. "Hey, babies! Speed it up! We ain't got all day, you know!"

Mutters of agreement from two other Phoenix Hunters were heard and the digging process was sped up, dirt flying erratically. Muttering curses underneath his breath, the tall man moved to return to his partner but then he heard his Raichu and Manectric yell something. Jogging over to them, he listened to their findings and grinned.

"Great job. Let's get movin', huh?" The man proceeded to yell for the Steelix to make his way over to where his Pokémon had made the discovery and ordered the Hunter in charge to _Hyper Beam _an entrance below ground. As the steel snake did so, the man motioned for his partner to join him, which she did, the Bellsprout clinging on tightly.

"Guess you were right, huh?"

The woman moved past her partner without responding and looked down the ravine dug out by the Steelix. She hummed a little, petting Bellsprout before she replied, "I believe that I was. Now, may I have the first attack?"

The man shrugged and offered his hand in agreement. The woman ignored the proffered handshake, grabbing a Pokéball from her waist and opening it, the black light with red jagged flashes dying down to reveal an Ivysaur, its eyes glowing blood red.

"Ivysaur, use _Solarbeam_." The command was spoken softly, but forcefully, sending chills down the backs of the three lower-classed Hunters. As the plant Pokémon gathered solar energy in the yellow flower on his back, the woman's partner whistled a jagged tune. His Raichu and Manectric ran up, with the electric mouse climbing on the man's shoulders, his long tail dangling down the muscled back. Manectric sat on her haunches, violet eyes waiting patiently. After a moment, the powerful beam of energy was fired into the hole, causing a large explosion. The three minor Hunters retreated a safe distance to avoid smoke inhalation, but the two higher-levels did no such thing. They stood straight and tall, inspiring the underlings with their guts and determination not to move.

As the smoke cleared, Manectric barked something and the man, tilting his head grinned, though it was hidden by the hood he had up. "Great. Manectric says we've got a door down there." Flipping the sunglasses open, he placed them on underneath the hood and, launching his arm forward ordered a full-out charge.

_**4:20 pm, June 7, 2005; Hidden Basement of Battle Salon, Tohjo Falls, Kanto Region**_

"What the hell was that?" Lucy exclaimed bolting upright on the makeshift mattress that Spenser and Anabel had prepared for her. Her Seviper, which had been curled at her feet, intent to protect his trainer sat up as well, hissing in concern when his trainer cried out in pain, her free hand moving reflexively to grab the bandaged limb.

"Arceus if I know!" Tucker shot back running into the room with his Swampert on his heels. Greta's Shedinja had been recalled into an extra Pokéball, still too weak to fight. Her Umbreon, however, was perched on top of Swampert's topmost fin, his one functioning eye narrowed.

"Do not take the name of the Creator in vain!" Spenser hissed his Venusaur emerging from his Pokéball in a flash of bright white light. The large plant Pokémon growled in agreement, blue eyes steadily regarding the Dome Ace warily. Tucker scoffed before moving over to the secret entrance, eyes narrowed. Anabel ran into the main room at that moment, hair askew.

"Where were you, oh grand leader?" Tucker accused without looking away from the entrance. Anabel glared at him, knowing that it was not in her to hate anyone... usually. Tucker just seemed to be adept at finding the correct buttons to press.

"It doesn't matter," Anabel shot back releasing her Espeon and Alakazam. The two-legged Psychic-type held his two arms in front of him, eyes beginning to glow; the Sun Pokémon did so as well. The four Frontier Brains waited to hear an analysis, and when Espeon yipped a long string of words, Anabel's head fell.

"They've found us," she whispered eyes downcast. Tucker vehemently cursed, with his Swampert following suit.

"There _has _to be something we can do!" Tucker exclaimed eyes glancing from Anabel to the door, which was beginning to shake with the force of an attack. "There is no way that I'm giving up; not now!"

"I agree, but what can we do?" Anabel responded hand clutching the miniaturized Master Ball in her hand. "I can't communicate with those Pokémon, and even if I get through all I hear are their screams!"

"We can't just stand here like Rattata waiting to be scooped up by Fearow!" Tucker responded hand clenched tightly around Shedinja's Pokéball. "We need to fight!"

"_Your Brother is correct, Chosen One," _the Master Ball's tenant added his low rumble soothing Anabel's frayed nerves. _"Let me face them."_

"_No! I won't let them take you; I couldn't stand it!"_

"_But –"_

"NO!" Anabel exclaimed drawing the room's attention to her. Ignoring the looks she was getting, she looked around and her eyes landed on Greta's coffin. "I refuse to lose anyone else!" She began to dimly shine, alerting the room's residents that something was happening. Spenser nodded, having foreseen this possibility; Lucy and Tucker outright stared.

"My dear, calm yourself." Spenser intervened after a moment, his eyes understanding. "It will do us no good if you are captured before given the chance to help." His words, luckily, seemed to have a calming effect on the Salon Maiden, as the dim glow faded to nothing once more.

"Anabel, what in Mew…" Lucy whispered eyes wide with shock. Tucker asked the same thing, just in coarser language.

"Not now," Anabel whispered, honestly still in too much shock at what happened. Her hands looked the same… so why had she been glowing? "I, I don't, I can't,"

"Later. There will be time later," Spenser stated his staff hitting the ground with a resolute "twack". He looked between his fellow Frontier Brains before continuing, "For now, we must focus on getting ourselves out of this mess, even if it means that we are further injured."

Anabel weakly smiled at the Palace Maven. "Thank you, Spenser, for your eloquent words of encouragement." Tucker scoffed once more before hearing an ominous sound. Slowly turning around, he paled.

"They've broken through the first round of defenses." Lucy's eyes widened and without thinking she released the only two of her Pokémon capable of fighting – Shuckle and Snorlax, the latter of whom had gained a bright red scar across his stomach where successive _Steel Wing_ attacks had made their mark. The turtle-like Pokémon glared at the doorway, eyes narrowed. He'd been mentored by Milotic, and now that the serpentine-like Water-type was gone, it was _his _duty to ensure that Lucy was protected.

"Damn it," Anabel whispered fists clenching. Ignoring the tenant of the Master Ball and his pleas to be released to fight, she ran through the options available to her… yet, none of them seemed plausible.

'We need help; we can't do this alone!' Anabel thought knowing that it was true. Therefore, when Alakazam started and peered upwards at the ceiling and disappeared in a flash of purple light she was shocked beyond comprehension.

"What, what just happened?" Tucker asked eyes wide. Anabel shrugged, having no clue as to what her Pokémon was doing but hoping that he was going to get help from… well, someone. Anyone, really, would be acceptable because they sure as hell needed it now.

_**5:45 pm, June 7, 2005; Exterior of Battle Salon, Tohjo Falls, Kanto Region**_

"Why are we just sitting here?" Paul asked, irritated. He ignored Dawn's attempts to get him to lower his voice to a whisper and Wes' glare telling him to shut his trap and remain silent.

Max sighed. It was at these moments that he missed Brock's reassuring presence and Ash's eternal optimism; hell, he even missed his sister's endless questions! He may respect Paul as his new martial arts sensei, but Latias, there was something _wrong _with him if he couldn't understand basic sleuthing tactics! May had even gotten the point, though it had taken her a few weeks…

"Because we have no clue what they're doing," Max shot back voice lowered. Paul scowled before turning his attention to the scene in front of him. A group of five Phoenix Pokémon Hunters were attacking something in the ground, light dust clouds flying from the hole. "For all we know, they could be digging up vegetables!"

"… What?" Wes asked eyebrow cocked. Paul's look at the Petalburg City resident was nothing short of confusion and disgust. This guy was the son of a gym leader?

Max mentally rewound and figured out just what he had said and flushed. "Uh, sorry. My mouth spoke ahead of my mind." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, an action that Ash was _very _prone to doing.

"Calm down. They've found something!" Rui whispered effectively drawing the group's attention back to the hole. As the trainers strained their ears to eavesdrop – Paul included – they heard the creak of something heavy crashing to the ground, followed by an excited exclamation and the howl of some kind of canine Pokémon.

"That's a Manectric," Max commented eyes narrowing behind his glasses. Max didn't even notice as May Oak leaned over his shoulder out of morbid curiosity and the fact that she couldn't see over the male trainer due to her slighted height, nodding in agreement with the young man.

"What is one doing here? I thought they were native to Hoenn?" Dawn asked confused. May shot her a look; Dawn took it to mean that she would have her answers at a later time.

As it was, once the celebration had ended the simultaneous attacks on the hole continued and, suddenly, Rui had an epiphany.

"Guys, what if they found the Frontier Brains?" Max froze then began cursing.

"Damn! That's it! Oh man, now what? I was hoping that we could sneak in undetected and escape!" He ran an agitated hand through his hair, mussing it up. Then, with a muffled yelp he fell backwards, drawing odd looks.

"Are you that uncoordinated?" Paul asked, brushing an errant strand of dark violet hair out of his eyes.

"No, but, uh," Max began but was saved from having to explain what had spooked him by the sudden appearance of an Alakazam. "Hey… you're Anabel's, right?"

"Alakazam," the Psychic Pokémon responded, nodding in the affirmative.

"Are they okay?" Max asked crouching down in front of the Salon Maiden's Pokémon. Alakazam shook his head in the negative and, motioning with one of his spoons appeared to want the group of trainers to follow him. Rui tilted her head and, moving forward held out a hand. May went to grab her and pull her back but Wes' hand on her forearm stalled the action.

"Leave her be," Wes muttered molten gold eyes narrowing. May gave him a strange look but the Orre native not only refused to speak but also kept May from interfering.

"They're in trouble," Rui declared eyes closed in thought. "The Hunters are about to break through the second round of defenses within a few minutes, and soon the third wall will fall. We need to save them now." As she opened her ice blue eyes, a cheer went up from the Hunters, drawing startled looks from four of the five other people, whereas Wes nodded accepting his wife's declaration without argument.

"Let's move." He let go of May and, turning to Alakazam asked, "Can you teleport us all in there?" Said Pokémon shook his head in the negative, with a few choice words added; Wes cursed.

"Maybe Gardevoir can help," Max mused and was only a tad astonished when said Pokémon materialized with minimal special effects from her Pokéball. "Do you need more help?"

Alakazam examined the Hoenn Pokémon for an instant before nodding. "Ala, Ala, Kazam."

"Maybe Espeon can be of some help," Rui offered and withdrew a miniaturized Pokéball from her waist (Wes had leant her a smaller Pokébelt and, as promised, half of all the Shadow Pokémon that had been purified over the year or so that they'd fought Cipher that they'd kept, as the others had either been returned to their original trainers or released to some of the more trustworthy people they'd met along their journey, such as those in charge of the Colosseums) and, opening it, watched as the Sun Pokémon leapt to the ground, stretching out the kinks in his muscles.

"Zam," Alakazam commented nodding in greeting to the furred-Psychic, reminded that his trainer's own Espeon was in danger. "Alakazam."

"We need one more Psychic Pokémon," Rui declared rustling through her pocket for the extra Pokéballs. Without glancing up, she added, "Wes, do you have Butterfree's Pokéball? Or Metagross'?"

Without comment, the silver-haired trainer pulled out a Repeat Ball and an Ultra Ball from his own pocket, commenting, "Unfortunately, Metagross can't learn _Teleport_ so he won't be of any use there." Rui sighed before grabbing both balls and releasing Butterfree, the Bug Pokémon flittering around to stretch his wings before landing on Max's Gardevoir's head.

"I know that! I just figured that Metagross could help us if we're attacked during the evacuation process." Alakazam nodded in approval, knowing that with another Metagross, the odds would be tilted that much more in favor of his trainer and the others making it out of this situation alive.

Wes shrugged and nodded at Alakazam that they were ready. Looking around, he noticed that besides his wife, Paul, Dawn, May and Max had all gathered with him in the center of a small circle, around which stood Gardevoir, Alakazam, Butterfree and Espeon, the latter of whom had his eyes narrowed in concentration, the dull yellow gem on his forehead glowing.

"Once inside, let's grab them and get the most injured out of there," Max said grabbing two Pokéballs off his waist in preparation. "Also, release some of your best fighters to act as distractions until the Brains are all safe." Looking at Gardevoir he added, "Teleport them to the cave behind the Falls; we'll meet you there."

"Garde," Gardevoir responded and projected the image into the rest of the trainers' heads, along with Butterfree and Espeon's minds, ensuring that they would all know where to meet up.

"Let's move." With that, the three Psychic and one Bug Pokémon closed their eyes and began dimly glowing, making sure that the bright light was hidden by the bushes. After a moment, the six humans and four Pokémon vanished, only to reappear in the Hidden Basement of the Salon, spooking the remaining Brains.

"Max!" Anabel exclaimed relief written on her features. "You came!" She rushed over and hugged the navy-haired trainer a tear falling to land on his jacket. "Thank you."

Max hugged her back before pushing her back and stating, "We need to get out of here, now." Anabel nodded.

"I know, but the Hunters, they're outside! How are we going to get past them?"

"We fight," Paul stated, smirking. With a flick of his wrists, two Pokéballs appeared in his hands and as they did so Paul called, "Torterra, Ursaring. Prepare for battle." A flash of white light later and a Torterra with black stripes on his legs and shell appeared, followed by an Ursaring, who pounded her fists together, more than ready to go to battle.

"Right. Pachirusu, Mamoswine, take the stage!" The Sinnoh Coordinator's massive Ice-Ground type emerged, blowing steam out of his nostrils whereas Pachirusu jumped around, hyper beyond belief blue sparks emanating from her tail.

"My turn." May reached into her side pack and, withdrawing a Net Ball kissed it (Max was suddenly reminded of Misty doing the exact same thing at one time, as well as his sister during each of her contests) and threw it, calling, "Gyrados. Spotlight!" The Water-Dragon hybrid roared in greeting, teal-tinted fangs glinting in the dim lighting.

"Are you crazy?" Tucker sputtered drawing attention to him. He motioned at the five Pokémon now guarding the door. "We tried to fight, all of us, and look where it got us! Noland's missing, Brandon's practically abandoned us for some legend in Sinnoh," Anabel frowned at this insult to her mentor and, in a manner of speaking, Tucker's boss whereas Dawn shot Paul a startled look, wondering if this was the self-same Pyramid King from years before but was surprised to see her boyfriend's tightly clenched fists at the mention of Brandon's name, "Greta's _dead_ and you want us to fight our way out of here? That's pure and unadulterated insanity!"

Spenser frowned and, deciding to take control of the situation interrupted Tucker before he could begin to ramble some more. "Tucker, please. These people have come to give us hope, to rescue us. If you are not willing to fight, then stand down." He glared at the magenta-haired Dome Ace and Tucker, unaccustomed to seeing the elder gentleman do such a thing bowed his head and recalled his Swampert and Greta's Umbreon. Satisfied that the situation had been taken care of, Spenser turned his attention to the group of trainers.

"You have a plan, I presume?" At the nods, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Arceus." In short order, Gardevoir had teleported a sulking Tucker and injured Lucy from the Basement, her Pokémon having been recalled as well. The two Espeon both followed with Greta's casket (Tucker had quietly requested that they not leave her there and, of course, Rui and May had assured him that they wouldn't do such a thing). Wes had added his Metagross to the five-Pokémon line-up, bringing the total number of defenders up to six and even though Anabel's Metagross wished to fight, Anabel had stubbornly refused, recalling the massive Psychic-Steel type after it had tried to force its way into the defensive line-up.

Alakazam then teleported out with Spenser and Anabel, the latter clutching her Master Ball tightly in her hands, eyes bowed to the floor. Then, when the four Pokémon returned (Anabel's Espeon had insisted that she stay and help), Max shouted orders. Dawn withdrew her Pachirusu (apparently, the door had held longer than Alakazam had earlier predicted) while Wes' Metagross and Rui's Butterfree combined their _Psychic_ attacksto move debris and other materials in front of the door to act as yet another wall of defense. Ursaring and Gyrados helped by creating more pieces of wreckage that could be used as materials for the barricade while Torterra was used as, in Paul's words, "an Arceus-damned ambulance" to pack extra supplies for the injured Frontier Brains, along with their communication equipment and the Frontier Symbols.

"Next teleportation go… now!" At Max's command, his Gardevoir and Rui's Espeon blinked out of the Basement with Torterra, loads of supplies and communication equipment piled on him. Meanwhile, the new makeshift barricade was slowly starting to weaken, if the bulging of the door was any indication.

"How much longer?" May asked Rui, who seemed to have an inside track onto how long the defenses and entrance to the Hidden Basement were going to last. The Orre woman closed her eyes and, concentrating didn't respond for a moment.

After a few moments of tense silence, broken only by the continuous construction of the new defensive layer Rui's eyes snapped open and she took a step forward, placing a hand against a faint crack in the steel wall.

"Five minutes," was the whispered reply as the red-haired woman withdrew her hand. "We have five minutes until the barriers all fall. If we wish to leave, then we must do it soon."

"Right." Moving quickly, the group of trainers withdrew most of their Pokémon, and as flashes of red light illuminated the room, Mamoswine, Ursaring, Gyrados and Metagross were returned to their individual Pokéballs just as a large earthquake shook the underground space, tossing the six trainers to the ground.

When they'd all climbed to their feet they discovered, to their utmost horror, that the metal barrier was now in pieces, dust rising.

"So quickly?" May asked, alarmed. Waving the dust away from her eyes, she squinted and gasped in shock.

"What's wrong?" Max asked, concerned that the Coordinator had been injured. Running to her side he grabbed her arm, glancing to see if she was injured in any manner. May shook off Max's concern, irritation flashing across her features.

"I am not hurt!" May exclaimed glaring at Max in a manner that he found eerily reminiscent of her brother. Stepping forward, she waved some more dust out of the way before calling, "You look… familiar. Do I know you?"

"My, my. It seems that I have been found out," came a calm voice followed by a soft laugh. Paul's ears caught the sound and he hesitated, feeling as if he'd heard the sound somewhere before… but he couldn't remember from where. This, obviously, irritated him; however, he was pulled out his thoughts when the dust cleared to reveal two human-shaped objects.

"So, those are Hunters, hmm?" Paul asked and upon receiving a nod from Max and May added, "They don't look so tough."

The taller of the two figures laughed before petting a shape on what Paul assumed was his shoulder. "You think you're a tough guy, huh? Hate to burst yer dream, kid, but you're only a baby in my book."

"I concur," the second person agreed, her hood fluttering in the small breeze coming down the hole that had been dug. Reaching for said garment, she commented, "I suppose that these hoods are not needed anymore."

The other figure, his voice identified as that of a male snorted in reply. "Babe, you can lower yours, but I ain't movin' mine."

The female paused and Paul sensed, somehow, that she was smirking. "Well, then, Lieutenant, I suppose that I shall have to do the big reveal on my own, hmm?" With a chuckle that sent shivers down most of the trainers' spines, the woman threw her hood back only to get nothing but gasps of both horror and astonishment. Short inky-black hair was held back by a blood red ribbon, the ends blowing behind her. Soft green eyes were now hardened chips, glinting with rationality and a hint of madness, and a necklace featuring a multi-colored shape dangled from the woman's neck, seen briefly before it was placed underneath her shirt. The woman seemed to grow vines across her shoulders, but the illusion vanished when a Bellsprout appeared, its eyes narrowed at the trainers. Only May picked upon the woman's identity, and she was beyond shocked.

"Erika, is that, that you?" May couldn't believe it. She and Erika had practically grown up together (though the latter was a good five years older than she), as Erika had been the Gym Leader who'd encouraged the female Oak's love for inner and outer beauty in Pokémon of all types and, in a manner of speaking lent her experience to May's dreams of becoming a Pokémon Coordinator, at which she had succeeded, having won the Spring Pokémon Contest years earlier. Erika was also a wonderful companion for their weekly chats over various types of tea on the rooftop of the Celadon Department Store and who was somehow convinced that she and Bill Ricerca belonged together… not that it'd ever happen, mind you.

The woman tilted her head before answering, "My name is indeed Erika, but I am not sure who you are." Turning to her companion she smirked and continued, "Perhaps my partner, Lieutenant Nathan Surge will be able to tell me who you might be."

"You bitch," the man muttered before throwing his hood back only to reveal a military-style haircut, closely cropped dirty-blond hair doing nothing to hide the chiseled cheekbones that were a major identifiable feature of the Vermillion City Gym Leader. Eyes were hidden behind a pair of stylish sunglasses, though Rui wondered just why the man had darkened glasses on inside of a building, particularly a basement. A smirk graced his tanned face and as he folded his arms over his chest, Dawn took notice of just how toned the guy was.

'He has so many muscles…' Dawn thought then panicked when she realized exactly _what _she had been thinking. 'Eww, gross! Why am I thinking that?'

"You are such a bitch, Kusaki," Nathan Surge commented sending a smirk at the Celadon City Gym Leader. In return, he received a sickly sweet smile that had his Raichu – Wes absently noted that the electric mouse's body was entirely black and its eyes glowed a bright yellow, with its tail and the tips of its ears the same color – up in arms from his perch on his trainer's shoulder.

"We can flirt later, my dear," Erika stated drawing a sputter from the larger man as she turned to the gathered trainers. "First, however, I believe that we must cover the evidence of us being here." As she finished speaking, she hurled two Pokéballs from her belt and in a flash of black and red light two large forms appeared.

"My beauties, the time has come to show our strength," Erika declared and, with Bellsprout perched on her shoulders exclaimed, "Attack!" With that, a rather rabid-looking Victreebel, teeth dripping purple poison and an evil-looking Vileplume, complete with yellow eyes launched simultaneous _Petal Dance _attacks.

"Shit!" Max yelped and, thinking quickly called on his Magnemite in a flash of white light to erect a _Light Screen, _breathing a sigh of relief when the tactic worked. Turning to the others, he added, "We need to get out of here. We can't take them on here; there's not enough room and they have the advantage." Everyone nodded in agreement, though Wes and Paul were extremely reluctant to do so.

"Right. Espeon, let's go!" Rui commanded and at that moment, the two Hunters had to shield their eyes as a bright flash of purple light emanated from the group of six trainers; when it'd faded, they were gone.

"Damn it!" Surge exclaimed slamming a fist against the metal wall and, incredibly, denting said wall. "They escaped!"

Erika calmly withdrew her Pokémon before commenting, "We shall get our chance at revenge, Nathan. Have no doubt about that." She then turned around and walked out of the hole, calling for the other three Hunters to pack up and return to headquarters. Surge glanced around the room and as he prepared to leave Raichu's ears swiveled forward in interest. Jumping off his trainer's shoulders, the electric mouse Pokémon ran over to a door that was ajar, crying out when he found something. Surge ran over and as he examined the dark space, his eyes landed on something of interest. Pushing his sunglasses down his nose, he walked to the crevice in the wall and, reaching inside withdrew a crumbled slip of paper. Opening it, he scanned it then smirked.

"Well, well, well. It seems that little Miss Lunara has a secret… one that I am sure the Master Elder would be very much interested in." He chuckled before motioning for Raichu to resume his perch on his shoulder – which was done quite quickly – before trailing after his partner up the staircase and into the sunlight, the sunglasses returning to their preferred spot in front of his eyes. Spotting his partner, he made his way over to her and silently handed her the slip of paper, to which the Celadon Gym Leader chuckled in amazement.

"Nice find, eh babe?" A green glare met him for his comment.

"Call me that again, Surge, and I will personally ensure that you will have no offspring." With that, Erika stuck her nose in the air and stalked over to where she and Surge had hidden their personal transportation – a modified jeep that was capable of underwater and air movements. Rather than cringing in horror at the threat as many men would have done, Surge merely smirked and swaggered along after her, whistling some random tune that he had heard somewhere but now which had found a home in his mind. Raichu glanced backwards and with one long glance shook his head and returned his attention forward, vowing to somehow find a way to break the spell put onto his trainer.

_**8:00 pm, June 7, 2005; Secret Cave, Tohjo Falls, Kanto Region**_

In a flash of purple light, six trainers and five Pokémon materialized, only to be dropped a few inches from the air to the solid sandstone-limestone mix, causing cries of shock.

"Damn it, can't they do anything right?" Paul grunted rubbing his head from where it had landed on a particularly tough piece of the sedimentary rock. Ignoring the glare from his girlfriend, he got to his feet and moved to peer outside of Tohjo Falls, inwardly amazed at the natural masterpiece that was now being used as temporary headquarters for the rescue party and the Frontier Brains.

"Great job, guys!" Max praised giving Gardevoir a hug which was returned. Rui was praising both Butterfree and her Espeon, giving them an Oran Berry each for a job well done. Anabel's Espeon was currently in what resembled a death hug while Alakazam watched, amused, as he had already gone through the same thing earlier.

"I am so glad that you're safe," the lavender-haired woman whispered tears dripping from her face to land on the furred-Eevee evolution. Lucy looked on, her heart breaking for her best friend. She'd been through so much lately that it was no wonder she was on the verge of a meltdown. She snuck a glance at the other trainers who'd accompanied Max Maple to rescue the rest of the Brains and her.

'They're a brave lot to come all this way for people that they don't even know.' She glanced at her bandaged limb before sighing again, drawing Spenser's attention. He inclined his head, sensing that she was not only confused but also relieved to know that they were going to be okay; that they were going to _live_.

May sighed as she recalled the two people she'd just seen, realizing that this whole thing was a whole hell of a lot bigger than even she'd imagined. 'Man, when Gary finds out he's going to flip… and poor Misty! Thrown into this without a heads-up and now forced to battle people whom she has no knowledge of and considering that there're still so many things that we don't know about, this situation is becoming more and more dangerous with every passing second.'

May was drawn out of her self-strategizing session when Dawn snapped her fingers in front of her eyes. Blinking rapidly, the Coordinator realized that she'd totally missed whatever had been said and was now being stared at by the rest of the gathered trainers. Rubbing a hand behind her neck in embarrassment, she agreed with Max's suggestion that they set out for Pallet Town (Max blithely ignored the fact that May had zoned out, used to it as his sister occasionally did the same thing).

"How are we going to get there?" Lucy asked eyes narrowed in thought. "Most of our Pokémon are pretty well exhausted or too badly injured to move."

Max smirked. "That's where we come in." Reaching into his pocket, he seized two Pokéballs and called their occupants out, patting each of Dodrio's heads as the triple-headed bird emerged once more and scratching behind his Arcanine's ears, the fire dog growling in pleasure.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "That Arcanine's a runt." Max glared.

"So what? Arc here's just as fast as any regular-sized Arcanine; hell, he's won five races in two months when one regular-sized Arcanine couldn't even do that!" Dawn elbowed Paul in the ribs, glaring at him for his comment even as she reached for her Girafarig, the Giraffe Pokémon nuzzling her in greeting.

Rolling his eyes but not responding to Max's bait, the purple-haired trainer withdrew Gabite's Ultra Ball and released the Dragon and Ground-type, his silence apparently damning him in Max's eyes.

May rolled her eyes; the testosterone was getting just a _tad _thick for her tastes. Deciding to just get moving and back to Pallet Town she withdrew her Rapidash and Dragonair's Pokéballs, the two appearing in a flash of white light. Reassuring the Brains that, yes, Dragonair could indeed travel quickly (hers was special, apparently, because she could fly through the air) she pet the pink-eyed Pokémon on her head, earning a grin from a tired Anabel, who could sense the absolute love between trainer and Pokémon.

Wes and Rui looked at each other and, nodding, withdrew four Pokéballs, revealing their contents to be a Stantler, a Typholsion, an Absol with dark blue eyes and a Tauros with a black scar running down his front right leg. The four emerged from their balls in attack position, eyes narrowed; however, upon receiving assurances from their trainers that there was no enemy they relaxed.

Almost as if sensing the other trainers' odd looks, Rui answered their silent questions. "Where we're from, life can be kind of rough, with a lot of enemies around each corner." She paused. "We trained our Pokémon to be battle-ready no matter the situation."

Paul nodded his head. "Admirable." Dawn rolled her eyes in response.

"Anyway," Max interrupted, "we need to get moving before they find us." Seeing the nods of agreement, he smirked. Soon enough, the Frontier Brains had been split amongst the various Pokémon: Tucker was with May on her Rapidash (the fire horse had snorted a stream of green-tinted flames in warning at the Dome Ace, obviously having heard his outburst earlier); Anabel had decided to ride Max's Arcanine, the dog's smaller size doing nothing to repel the protection she felt from him; Spenser had decided to ride Wes' Absol, the Disaster Pokémon eying the elder man warily. Lucy, with her damaged arm, was riding with Rui on Typholsion, as it was hoped that the heat from the Volcano Pokémon would possibly act as a catalyst to evaporate the poison (it was noted that Lucy was doubtful that the heat could do anything to save her arm, which was already on the verge of amputation; however, she was willing to try anything). Wes and Max had roped their Pokémon (Dodrio, Tauros and Stantler) together in a makeshift train in order to transport Greta's casket safely. Paul and Dawn split up the extra supplies, with Paul muttering underneath his breath about the uselessness of the extra Frontier Symbols. Dawn didn't comment, though she did smirk when Paul uncharacteristically fumbled a box of tools used to fix a portable communication system and a rather large screw fell out and landed on his foot.

"Careful," Dawn sing-songed as she tied a cardboard box tightly onto Girafarig. "Don't drop anything." Paul's glare could have melted a glacier.

Finally, everyone was ready to go and as Max and Dodrio trotted to the front of the small entourage he turned and felt his heart sink at the depression that arose from the Frontier Brains. He sighed and, lowering his face so that his bangs hid his eyes he promised, "We will avenge Greta's death. I vow it." With that, he clicked to his Pokémon and Dodrio chirped and took off, followed by the rest of the trainers.

Phase two had been successful; the Frontier Brains were rescued. Now, if the other half of their team would return safe and sound, Max would fell a whole lot better…


	32. Forests, Rocks, and Disrupted Plans

**Disclaimer:** The auction house where I decided to have my sale just closed its doors for no apparent reason, so I guess that my team'll have to wait while I scout out a new location... damn.

**A/N:** Note: I am taking some liberties in regards to the attack sets of various Pokémon. If something needs explained, I'll do it but otherwise, please refrain from disparaging comments. Also, this chapter takes place at the exact same time as Chapter 31. Also, due to the extreme length of this chapter upon its original completion, I've decided to split it in half. Have fun!

**A/N #2: **I am so, so sorry about not uploading this earlier, or updating in forever. I am so sorry for not updating in more than a year; I feel horrible. School and real life intruded and it's taken me a while to even get this read to publish. Sorry again! This is a nice, long chapter and I'm trying out some new dividers to try and break it up a bit more. Tell me how they work, yeah?

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers/Telepathic Conversations

_Attacks_: Pokémon Attacks

(…): Extra facts about the story

**Chapter 32: Forests, Rocks, and Disrupted Plans**

_**2:00 pm, June 7, 2005; En Route to Viridian Forest, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

While Max's group was en route to Tohjo Falls, Gary's group was on the verge of successfully navigating Viridian City, their Pokémon's speed more than making up for the vulnerability that they felt when running through the rather large city. Arcanine, having just traveled through the place a few weeks previous easily weaved around the obstacles that came with any typical large town or city, among them garbage receptacles and telephone poles. Kenny's gray-eyed Typholsion stayed low to the ground the flames on his back tamed to just the minimum to allow for more secrecy as well as lessening the risk of fire whereas his green-spotted Stantler was focused on keeping up with the two Fire-types. It wasn't that Stantler was slow; far from it. However, when pitted against two of the faster runners out there, it was kind of tough to keep up.

Gary, seated on Arcanine narrowed his eyes. "We're almost through; just need to get past the entrance gate up ahead." Kenny and Zoey, seated on Typholsion and Stantler respectively nodded.

"Where to then?" Kenny asked ducking underneath a stray awning and praying to Palkia that Typholsion's flames wouldn't accidentally cause a fire.

"Viridian Forest," Misty spoke up surprising Gary and Arcanine with her newfound knowledge of the area. "It's full of Bug Pokémon and a few scant Electric and Flying/Normal-type Pokémon. The trees grow closely together, making it kind of difficult to navigate unless you're either an explorer, have a Flying-type that can go right over it or just decide to push your way through." The auburn-haired Gym Leader was seated on Arcanine arms wrapped tightly around her "cousin's" waist.

"Interesting," Zoey mused patting her boyfriend's Stantler in praise after she'd dodged an overturned mobile hot dog stand. "It sounds a bit like the Eterna Forest, except thicker and more lush."

"I suppose it does," Gary responded holding on tightly as Arcanine easily cleared a set of three park benches, strung together and for some reason left in the middle of the road.

"That's weird," Misty commented drawing attention to herself.

"What is?" Kenny asked eyes narrowing as he spotted an iron wrought gate that he supposed marked the boundary between Route 2 and Viridian City.

"There are no people here," Misty responded and Gary drew up Arcanine so quickly that the fire dog uncharacteristically stumbled.

"What?" he demanded turning around and looking at the Gym Leader. When she stared up at him in response, he frantically looked around eyes beginning to fill with panic when he realized that she was absolutely right.

"What's the big deal?" Kenny asked having stopped Typholsion a few feet ahead of Gary. Zoey and Stantler were in the middle, both looking curiously at the two Kanto natives. "Maybe everyone's taking an afternoon nap or something."

"This is bad," Gary muttered eyes switching from Kenny to Zoey then Misty. "This is so bad."

"What's bad?" Misty asked concerned. Her cousin had never acted like this, like something horrible was about to happen.

"The fact that there are no people here, and considering that Viridian City is the third most populated metropolitan area in Kanto tells me that something is going to happen," Gary replied voice lowered. Glancing around once more, he caught sight of a crimson piece of cloth fluttering weakly in the wind. Eyes widening, he then narrowed them attempting to see if there were any symbols on the clothing.

"Oh no," Gary whispered and Arcanine, sensing his trainer's rising panic barked softly, attempting to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. However, his ears abruptly picked up the sound of a trash can hitting an alley wall and he instantly shifted to battle position. Typholsion and Stantler quickly copied him, their eyes looking around warily.

"What's going on?" Zoey asked her sunglasses pushed up onto her head to give her better vision in the afternoon light. "Gary, what is going on that you're about to hyperventilate?"

"They're here!" Gary replied and with a kick to the sides Arcanine shot off fire building in his mouth. "_Fire Fang_!"

"Arc!" The Legendary Pokémon's fangs, alight with burning flames abruptly clamped down on what appeared to be mid-air, but in reality was the invisible arm of a Kecleon, whose scaled limb abruptly materialized. As the two Sinnoh natives watched, amazed, Arcanine proceeded to tighten his hold on the Kecleon and, crouching throw him into the air where he hit him with a combination attack of _Headbutt _and another _Fire Fang_.

"Great job," Gary murmured to his Pokémon as the Chameleon-like Pokémon fainted his entire body materializing. Although Gary was tempted to dismount and more closely examine the intruder, common sense told him to stay aboard Arcanine; plus, with Misty there he didn't dare leave her alone or unprotected, though he absently noted that she clutched Togetic's Pokéball, ready to hurl it if the need arose.

Apparently, Kenny had no such qualms about common sense as he trotted over on Typholsion and dismounted the Volcano Pokémon, whose gray eyes were now continuously scanning the area for intruders.

"Looks like a wild one," Kenny commented absently as he ran his fingers over Kecleon's neck, not sensing a mark that often foretold of ownership. For some trainers, the mark was a certain design; for most, though, it was just a pinprick in the shape of a Pokéball. It was this mark that kept trainers' Pokémon from being snagged in battle; Kenny had battled a few stupid kids once who'd dared to attempt to steal his Empoleon from him. He'd reported their asses to Officer Jenny for sure.

"You going to catch it?" Zoey asked Stantler snorting. The Antler Pokémon stepped closer, leaning down to sniff at the fainted Kecleon when her ears swiveled behind her. Eyes widening, she turned around and threw up a _Reflect_, and just in time as a heavily muscled arm appeared veins bulging.

"Damn it!" a voice roared and as Kenny scrambled back onto Typholsion while simultaneously catching Kecleon in a Great Ball the arm retreated only to reappear again, this time with what looked like brass knuckles attached.

"Move!" Gary yelled and as Stantler's _Reflect_ vanished, the deer leapt out of the way of Arcanine's _Ember _attack. This time, since there was no shield in place, the arm came swinging towards the group only to flinch upon being hit by _Ember._ Gary's face paled as the arm kept moving, somehow lengthening.

"Let's get out of here!" Kenny yelped and, turning Typholsion led the group of three towards the gate he'd spotted earlier, the three of them now treated to a cacophony of footsteps on their trial. Misty chanced a glance behind her and gasped when she saw three Tauros, all of whom looked pretty angry. Looking at the three people riding them she realized that she was looking at three Phoenix Pokémon Hunters, hoods drawn to cover their faces.

"Gary, it's them," she whispered and Gary, hearing her cursed. Looking ahead, he vehemently swore when he saw what appeared to be a trio of Pokémon – Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Hitmontop – blocking the wrought iron gate.

"On my signal!" Gary commanded and Kenny and Zoey nodded, trusting the famous researcher to get them out of the mess into which they'd gotten involved. As Arcanine, Stantler and Typholsion drew closer and closer to the gate, Gary's eyes narrowed further calculating mathematical equations and statistical outcomes.

"Now!" Gary ordered and Arcanine gathered his powerful legs underneath him, pushing off the ground with a large amount of force. As the two riders and fire dog cleared the trio of Fighting-type Pokémon effortlessly, Kenny and Zoey were quick to follow, with Stantler kicking Hitmonchan in the head for good measure. Typholsion released a _Smokescreen_ on his way out of the gate, effectively giving the quartet of trainers cover in which to make their escape.

As the smoke began to clear, two figures walked through the now smoke-clogged air, hoods drawn like their compatriots to hide their features.

"Pathetic," one voice declared voice tinged with disgust. The other one merely nodded in agreement as a Nightmare Ball was thrown, the black light with red jagged stripes revealing a large avian-type Pokémon who quickly used _Whirlwind _to clear the air. When the smoke had been cleared, the two Hunters observed the path that the trio of enemies had taken to retreat, faint footprints left behind due to a burst of rain a few hours earlier, clearly showing a path into the countryside.

"I agree," the second Hunter declared folding arms over a trim figure, absently scratching underneath a Venomoth's chin, the Poison-type moth's blue eyes glinting in the afternoon sunlight. "How in the seven hells they managed to get this far will never be known."

The first Hunter grunted as the large avian was recalled, ignoring the slightly mournful look sent to the Venomoth, who cautiously returned the gesture. "I suppose that we must pursue them?"

A disgruntled sigh was the response. An arm reached out and none-too-gently pushed the first Hunter to the right, followed by a scoff. "That was one idiotic question." A light peck from a red-eyed Hoothoot on a wrist resulted in the withdrawal of the outstretched arm, a curse emanating from underneath the hood.

The first Hunter chuckled. "You should know better than to touch me without my express permission; Hoothoot here doesn't take too kindly to unnecessary physical contact." Said Pokémon nodded in the affirmative as it settled on the Hunter's shoulder eyes glaring at the second crimson-clad human.

The second Hunter smirked, though the action wasn't seen due to the hood. "What if I feel the touch necessary?" A hand reached up and, grabbing a bunch of the first Hunter's red shirt pulled the taller figure down until the two hoods were at an even level. The smaller of the two Hunters continued, "Aloofness doesn't always mean that being alone is good for oneself. You of all people should know that." Then, sensing that the lower-level Hunters were en route to their site a head turned.

"The rest of you, back off!" A scuffling of feet was heard and the small Hunter continued, "Secure the city; any hostages or survivors are to be shuffled into the shelters. Understood?" A chorus of affirmatives met the order before a third item was added. "My partner and I will continue the pursuit of the enemies. If I so much as catch a hint that any of you are attempting to outgrow your shirt long before I give you permission then the punishments will **not** be pleasant." The lower-level Phoenix Pokémon Hunters scattered to the corners of Viridian City, leaving the two squad leaders to themselves.

"Forceful, are we?" The first Hunter was abruptly pushed backwards, waging a brief but successful struggle to regain a sense of balance on the slightly uneven pavement. A shaking of the head was followed before a wry chuckle filled the air. "And to think, I was going to offer a ride on my Dodrio." A melancholy sigh was heard before a Nightmare Ball was drawn out of a hidden pocket.

The second Hunter froze before the shaking of the head was seen, followed by a sigh. "Oh fine, braggert. You and your prized "speed runner" win." Air quotes emphasized the point, and all further conversation was halted for the moment as the two Hunters mounted a rather subdued silver-eyed Dodrio, whose three heads all glanced back sorrowfully at their Master at one time or another as he was forced forward out of Viridian City en route to capture a group of people and their Pokémon. Venomoth flew behind her Mistress, blue eyes expressing her sorrow at the current predicament, but knowing that nothing was to be done at the moment but ensure that her Mistress wasn't killed…

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_**2:45 pm, June 7, 2005; Entrance to Viridian Forest, Viridian City, Kanto Region**_

As the trio of Pokémon came to a stop at the entrance to Viridian Forest, they took shelter behind a rather large outcropping of rocks, with their trainers looking at each other warily, fear plain to see on their faces.

"Now what?" Misty asked eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "We can't just stay in the open like this."

Zoey put a hand to her face for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Let's take to the air; surely the Hunters won't think to look for us there!"

Kenny nodded in agreement but looked to Gary, whom he knew was the leader, having grown up in the Kanto Region and having traveled this route several times in the past, meaning that thanks to the young professor they had a hometown advantage. "Gary? Suggestions?"

Gary took a deep breath, willing his nervousness and panic over the situation to vanish for the time being; this was no time to lose control. "I agree. Let's take to the air."

With that, a trio of red lights emerged, recalling the speedy land-based Pokémon, followed by a flash of white light as Gary's solid black Aerodactyl, Zoey's yellow and black-eyed Altaria and Kenny's Swellow appeared, each shifting to battle stances before realizing that they had another purpose.

"Aero?" Gary's Aerodactyl wasn't used to working in groups of any kind; therefore, she was a bit nervous about flying alongside two strange looking Pokémon. Almost as if sensing the ancient Pokémon's fears, Misty stepped forward and laid a hand on Aerodactyl's side.

"Don't be afraid; they're friends." Misty had been previously introduced to her cousin's Pokémon and so felt little fear in approaching the fierce looking avian. Aerodactyl looked into the auburn-haired woman's eyes and instantly felt all her fears vanish. She chirped a short reply before proceeding to nuzzle her face into Misty's chest, causing a short giggle to escape the Gym Leader.

"While I'm glad to see that Misty and Aerodactyl can get along," Kenny drawled already seated on his Swellow, "we need to get the hell out of here."

"Right." Misty averted her eyes from a questioning Aerodactyl as she scaled the dragon-appearing avian, wrapping her arms firmly around Gary's waist.

"Move out!" At Gary's command, the trio of Flying-type Pokémon took to the skies, the four trainers thanking Arceus that there was no more rain in the forecast, but that enough clouds existed to give them an option to hide if the need arose. They took to the air just in time as not ten minutes later the pair of elite Phoenix Pokémon Hunters arrived on Dodrio, both of them looking around them for signs of their prey's presence.

"There," the shorter of the two pointed hood swaying in the short breeze. Dodrio quickly made his way over and both Hunters dismounted to examine the evidence. "It looks like recent footprints, and they're still soft. They were here."

The taller Hunter stiffly nodded, replying, "Agreed. Also, due to the lack of footprints leading into the forest, I believe it safe to assume that they have taken to the air in a rather pathetic and predictable method of evasion."

"Most assuredly," the first Hunter said standing up once more before stretching, moaning softly as a particularly tight and slightly painful muscle knot came loose. The second Hunter couldn't help but stare at the lithe, trim, _female _figure presented to him, and thanked Lugia everyday that he'd somehow ended up with this beautiful creature as his partner.

"Shall we?" the female offered turning around and plucking a Nightmare Ball out of a hidden pocket threw it into the air, the black light and red streaks dying down to reveal a Crobat, wings already moving at fairly credible speeds. Grabbing onto the bat's clawed feet, the woman continued to speak. "Hurry up before we lose them!"

'Then again, that mouth of hers makes me want to do something quite, well, _drastic_ to shut her up…' The male nodded swiftly before recalling Dodrio and releasing his Skarmory, whose red eyes looked around cautiously, not used to being summoned for anything less than a battle in recent times

"Skarmory, attention. We are in pursuit of four enemy trainers, and we are not to lose them wherever they may land. Understood?" A short chirp and the clipping of her beak assured the man that his directions had been understood. "Good. Let's move!"

Skarmory didn't move when her trainer effortlessly leapt onto her back easily adjusting her posture for the added weight, a move that had become routine since her capture year s ago, which had then been followed by an intense training regime to get her acclimated to flying with additional weight, Pokémon and human alike.

"Finally!" the female griped having already flown a few feet away. "Move it!"

"Yes dear," the male muttered snickering at the thought. Who in their right mind would want to bed such a temperamental woman? Certainly not him! Skarmory, on the other hand, thought differently…

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_**3:15 pm, June 7, 2005; 100 feet above Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

"There!" "Gary exclaimed as the rock-hewn city of Pewter came into view, the numerous trees below them thinning as the Viridian Forest ended its control of the landscape. "Welcome to Pewter City!"

"Pretty," Misty admired eyes taking in the structures, many of which had been carved or decorated with various forms of stonework, and some were even built out of stone! "I feel like I've been here before…"

Gary internally winced before covering his tracks. "Well, if I remember correctly, you and the former leader of the Pewter Gym, Brock Slate, were fairly good friends. Cerulean and Pewter are really only separated by Mt. Moon, which is easily traversable if you have your Pokémon with you."

"Former?" Kenny asked having previously met Brock and not been informed of the guy's past as a Gym Leader.

"Well, when Brock first left the Gym, his dad, also a Gym Leader took control of it and continued to host it as a Rock-type haven. Then, I think his mother returned and attempted to turn it into a Water-type Gym but was shut down. Now, his brother Forrest is in charge and is pretty tough for a sixteen-year old."

"He's kind of like Aaron, Candice or Maylene then, right?" Zoey asked orange sunglasses reflecting a small beam of sunlight. All three of the aforementioned people were fairly young when compared to their fellow elite trainers in Sinnoh, though Candice was only 21 while Maylene and Aaron were both a respectable 18.

"Sure, I guess," Gary absently responded eyes keeping track of the skittishness of the general population as evidenced by a mass retreat indoors. "The townspeople are all apparently afraid of us."

"They think we're Hunters, right?" At Gary's nod, Misty shook her head angrily. "Don't they know better?"

"Mass fear often causes common sense to go out the window." Zoey reached a hand up and attempted to grab a piece of a fluffy white cloud only to end up with condensed moisture. "Going as far back as Ancient Times, whenever an attack by a large enemy force or any enemy really threatens the normality of life, people tend to give into the primitive emotions of self-preservation no matter the costs."

"History lover?" Gary asked slanting a look at the Sinnoh Coordinator.

"Definitely." Zoey's smirk was returned.

"There it is!" Misty suddenly exclaimed pointing at a building that appeared to have two rather large boulders merged together, with a stone complex resting behind it.

"Great eyes!" Kenny complimented examining the Gym and noting that it was very different from Roark's Gym in Oreburgh City. Whereas Roark preferred a Gym carved out of a mountain side, complete with land forms and rocks of all types on the inside, this gym was made of large rocks outside and, Kenny assumed, inside as well. Somehow itt seemed… tougher.

"Do we land?" Kenny continued cooing a reassuring word to his Swellow, who nodded in time with the air gusts buffeting his wings.

"Yeah, but I don't think we should land on the ground," Zoey cautioned while stroking Altaria behind her right ear. The blue dragon growled in enjoyment. "If the Hunters are on our tale, we need to somehow throw them off our tracks."

"I have an idea…" Kenny mused but was interrupted by Misty's cry of joy.

"There! I see a doorway!" Sure enough, a small, rectangular silver door was set into the rooftop. "We can sneak inside, grab whatever we need to and get out of here!"

"Clever," Gary muttered hoping beyond hope that Brock's family had had enough forewarning to avoid being captured by the Pokémon Hunters. Over the years, he'd become good friends with the former Gym Leader, and it was irritating that there was a distinct possibility that he'd been captured and brainwashed as his other friends had been. "I say it's a plan." With these words, Gary directed Aerodactyl – who was much less nervous than before – to glide down to land softly on the stone roof. As the fossil Pokémon did so, Kenny and Zoey followed eyes narrowed.

"Good job girl," Gary murmured as he recalled the large flyer, who chirped in reply, noting Kenny and Zoey doing the same. "Let's get in and out in short order; this way, we can start for Cerulean City to pick up the rest of Misty's Pokémon."

"Done," came a chorus of agreements and Gary smiled. Then, crouching, he ran light fingers over the metal, looking for an opening or key of some type that would allow him to get inside without being ambushed or setting off any alarms. Upon finding a hidden latch, he smirked. "Up we go."

The door squeaked loudly, it being obvious that the hinges hadn't been oiled, much less cleaned recently. As Gary heaved the door open completely, a dim light could be seen, emanating from a cracked light fixture hanging from a thread.

"Not very safe," Misty ventured looking at the light. Tilting her head, she reached down and wrenched a piece of crinkled paper out of the ceiling. Opening it, she scanned the text and silently handed it to Gary without saying anything; instead, she scanned the hole in the roof and, taking a breath jumped inside, ignoring the panicked cries from above. Landing on her feet, she glanced around and instantly hid behind a support pillar, the smooth granite somehow having a calming effect on her. Looking out from behind the large barrier, she noted that the shadows of the second floor of the Gym were still, the sun having decided to stay in place for a moment.

"Misty!" a hiss reached her ears, telling her that her cousin, Kenny and Zoey were beginning to get concerned; well, that or believing that she had lost her mind. Deciding that she didn't have time to respond, Misty ignored the hisses and quickly moved from the first pillar to another one, making sure that she wasn't visible to the Gym's floor at all.

"There we go," Misty murmured spotting a staircase that was partially hidden by a door that was half off its hinges. Looking around once more while ignoring the increasingly frantic hisses from the opening to the roof, she practically leapt out of the shadows and ran to the staircase, ducking inside the opening and running down, her steps light enough to prevent any creaking from the stairs. Coming to the bottom, she surveyed the battlefield, noting that the normally massive boulders and stones were cracked, some having massive fissures in spider-like patterns. The floor was a mess, with fissures, melted stone, and piles of sand everywhere.

"Oh man, this is bad," Misty muttered to herself as she carefully walked to the center of the Gym, taking in the shattered white-chalk Pokéball with a heavy heart. Folding her arms across her chest, she gingerly stepped around the icon and walked towards the far side of the Gym, close to the main doors, which seemed to have been boarded shut.

"Let's see…" Misty stopped in front of the doors and, turning to her left counted off about sixty-five paces, carefully avoiding the cracks in the floor. As she approached her destination, the sound of wings reached her ears. Spinning around, she narrowed her eyes at the set of boarded-up doors, instinctively knowing that something, or someone, was coming.

'I'd better keep moving!' Misty started to run, almost missing a hidden doorway in the floor in her haste. With one last look at the door, she lifted a piece of slate-tinted tile floor, revealing a small set of curved stairs leading underground. Stepping downwards, she gently replaced the tile and felt her way down, taking her time to make sure that she didn't break anything.

"Let's see, now I go straight ahead ten steps, left for five, then straight again for twenty," Misty muttered drawing Togetic's Pokéball from her jean pocket, enlarging it in preparation for its use. As she counted the needed steps, she hoped that the information on the note wasn't outdated; Gary'd kill her for sure if he knew that she'd assumed something before checking for accuracy and ended up being captured. Not something on her list to do before she keeled over dead to be sure.

After a few minutes of silence, Misty stopped and reached out, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt a carved door. Moving her fingers over the rock, she felt a smooth metal knob and, turning it slightly heard a slight "click" signifying that the lock wasn't bolted.

"Uh, hello?" Misty opened the door completely and stepped inside, blinking in the dim light that emanated from an old-fashioned oil lamp. "My name is Misty Waterflower and I'm here to help."

A scoff was heard and the light soon flared revealing a teen with battle-hardened features, a bright red scar crossing his right eye. Surrounding him were about seven young children, each of them covered in what seemed to be layers of dirt and grime, their cheeks beginning to sink in from starvation.

"You? Please. You look too pristine and clean to be the escaped Waterflower sister," the teen stated arms crossed across his chest. Misty blinked at the words, not expecting to hear them but instinctively knowing that he was attempting to present a brave front for the younger children, whom she supposed were his younger siblings. They looked a lot alike, after all. Though, that part about escape…

"Um, what are you talking about? Escape?"

The teen raised an eyebrow and shot back, "Well, she doesn't remember. Surprising. The Pewter Gym Leader's forgotten as usual in the mix of the more glorious, well-known, _older_ Gym Leaders, particularly the famous Waterflower sister who single-handedly brought the Cerulean Gym to center stage from obscurity. All of the fame must have gotten to you."

Misty's face had slowly been turning red throughout the speech, and she opened her mouth to make a scathing comment when one of the young girls tugged on the teen's dirty dark brown jacket and mouthed something, causing the teen's eyebrow to rise.

"… Seriously?" At the determined nod from the girl, the teen flushed guiltily and, turning to Misty shrugged. "Uh, sorry. My nerves are a little shot, I guess. We've been down here since the takeover of the city a little over three months ago."

Misty gasped, all irritation at the teen's earlier words vanishing. "Three months? Oh Mew, how are you all still alive?"

The teen shrugged, replying, "Shelves of food, matches, and water that our parents had stored here. Plus our Pokémon; without them, we'd have been goners weeks ago." The seven children nodded in agreement, and it was easy for Misty to see that they adored their big brother with everything in them.

"Your parents?"

The teen's calm visage vanished for an instant, deep grief appearing before giving way to the stoic expression that Misty had become used to in a short period of time.

"Mom, well, she died when the Gym was attacked. She, she didn't make it." The teen paused before continuing, "Dad, uh, I think he was captured." He hung his head. "I don't even know where Brock is; I haven't heard from him in over six months!"

The name "Brock" stirred something in Misty's memories, and as she felt a solitary tear slide down her face a rush of thoughts and memories flashed into her mind, forcing her to attempt to find support; she ended up leaning against the stone wall. Memories of learning how to cook without burning her hands, how to properly brush a Sealeo's fur, how to effectively manipulate her sisters flickered behind her eyes as if a slideshow or film. A deep friendship with her fellow Gym Leader.

Now that she remembered one of her best friends, she was upset that she was no closer to finding out how to get him back, and she didn't particularly relish informing Brock's siblings that he'd most likely been captured and was an enemy. Then, she had an idea.

"Uh, listen. My friends and I are here to rescue you guys and take you back with us to Pallet Town." Misty paused then added, "There you'll have food, water, warm beds, clean clothes, room for your Pokémon to roam. You'll be safe."

The younger children were obviously excited at the prospect of escape; their eyes shone brightly with hope. The teen, however, scowled before crossing his arms once more.

"How do I know that you're not attempting to lead us to certain imprisonment?"

Misty fumed. This little brat was presuming to demand of her credentials when he had previously stated that she was the Cerulean City Gym Leader; what was wrong with him? Then, she remembered something she'd been told when May had given her the Pokédex and, digging it out of yet another hidden pocket presented it to the teen, eyes hard.

"Proof that I'm not some random flunky out to get you," Misty sniffed her teal-shaded Pokédex opened to the necessary information. The teen took the device and scrolled through the Trainer Profile, eyes widening slightly as the woman's identity was one hundred percent confirmed as that of Misty Waterflower, though no mention of her capture by the Phoenix Pokémon Hunters was mentioned.

'Probably meant to throw people off the trail,' the teen thought and after a moment's contemplation came to a decision. Handing the Pokédex back to the woman he slightly bowed.

"Name's Forrest Slate, Leader of the Pewter Gym. I am ready and willing to help in whatever capacity that you need me." The teen, now identified as Forrest was, in essence, offering his services to Misty in whatever form necessary, but he did have a condition. "However, first, my brothers and sisters must be protected."

Misty tucked the Pokédex back into its hidden pocket and replied, "Of course. My friends and I were planning to take you all back to Pallet Town. Do you have your Pokémon?" At Forrest's nod, she grinned. "Perfect. Now, here's the plan…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**  
**_

_**4:30 pm, June 7, 2005; 2nd Floor, Pewter City Gym, Pewter City, Kanto Region**_

To say that Gary was worried about Misty was an understatement; he was starting to mildly hyperventilate. "Where in the hell is she?"

Zoey shook her head out of pity for the Pokémon Researcher; to her, it was kind of obvious. The guy was in love with the auburn-haired Gym Leader and, to her, they were a perfect match. She had confronted Gary earlier on the rooftop and convinced him to trust Misty. Obviously, she knew what she was doing, and therefore, he needed to trust her. Kenny had backed her up on the demand and Gary, outnumbered, had merely nodded in agreement.

However, that didn't mean that he'd stopped worrying; far from it. In fact, even though Kenny, Zoey and he had leapt down into the Gym, he continued to pace from their hiding spot behind some fallen pieces of ceiling and windows, muttering underneath his breath.

"That's it. It's been too long." Gary made to reach for his Pokémon to retrieve Misty when he was grabbed by Kenny. The Sinnoh native wasn't as physically strong as Gary, but he'd wrestled with Barry and their Pokémon enough times to give him a lean, muscled form. Therefore, he was able to hold back the researcher for a few minutes; enough for Zoey to confront him.

"Gary, calm down!" Zoey's voice was cold, colder than Kenny had ever heard from her. "Misty will be fine. Granted, she has some form of amnesia, but she obviously remembers her way around this Gym, she knows how to fight and she knows that she needs to do this. If you go to her rescue, she'll always be left wondering if she can actually do anything without you; therefore, let her do this on her own!" Gary, silent and in thought jerked his head in response, causing Kenny to release him.

"Fine. But, at any sign of trouble I'm jumping in," Gary warned readjusting his short-sleeved black jacket. Zoey sighed but shrugged, signaling that she was at least okay with the condition set by the Researcher.

"Good, great. Let's get back to being quiet, okay?" Kenny hissed agitated that the Hunters could be watching them, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike and they'd have it because his girlfriend and the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak couldn't stay quiet for the love of Giratina!

Gary opened his mouth to retort when the sound of moving tile was heard. Rushing out of the shadows, Gary crouched and observed the floor of the Pewter Gym, which was in pieces due to fierce battling months ago; the scars were old. As he examined the vast space in front of him, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a slate tile pushed to the side, with a pale hand moving to grasp the floor.

"There she is!" Gary breathed causing Kenny and Zoey to stick their heads out of the shadows, curiosity overriding the instinct to keep themselves hidden. Sure enough, Misty climbed out of the hole and, looking upwards spotted Gary and grinned. Motioning for him to join her, she turned back to the hole and began to place some young children next to her.

Gary shot a glance back at Zoey who sighed and motioned for him to go, earning a smile of gratitude. As the spiky-haired trainer leapt to the ground, she slanted a look at Kenny and commented, "Obvious, huh?"

Kenny didn't really have an idea as to what his girlfriend was talking about but decided to agree with her for the sake of not upsetting her. Therefore, he could only nod as he followed the Snowpoint City native down a pair of rickety stairs, wincing each time a creak was heard.

"Misty, are you alright?" Zoey called out once she and Kenny were close enough. She glanced around and saw that besides Gary and Misty, about seven young children surrounding the latter and a teen who, at first glance looked remarkably like Brock; so much so that she was about to call out his name when the scar caught her attention.

"Is your face okay?" Kenny asked having noticed the same thing as his girlfriend. The teen shrugged not offering any verbal explanation. A slightly torn backpack was slung over his shoulders, obviously carrying supplies.

"What's the plan, Red?" Gary asked arms crossed.

Misty smirked at him. "Let me borrow Alakazam and I'll show you." Gary, who was totally mystified but heeding Zoey's earlier advice did as she asked, passing her the Great Ball that held the powerful Psychic-type.

"Great. Alakazam, I need you," Misty said as she enlarged the ball and released the humanoid Psychic-type, who looked around warily before his eyes landed on his Trainer and the female who'd won a physical bout with his Trainer a few nights previous.

"Ala?"

"Alakazam, do what Misty tells you," Gary ordered eyes looking at Misty curiously.

"Ala, Ala, Kazam."

"I know, but in this case, it's necessary." Gary, at this point was worried. Just what did the Cerulean City Gym Leader exactly have in mind?

"Alakazam, can you use _Teleport_?" Misty asked and upon receiving an affirmative continued, "Perfect. Would you please teleport these children to Pallet Town and tell Mrs. Ketchum that they need attention?"

Alakazam regarded the auburn-haired woman for a moment before turning his attention to the collection of small children, many of whom appeared to be starving and in overall bad shape. Deciding that this was more important than who he took orders from (this time) he nodded and decisively marched over to the children, holding out his arms so that all seven would be touching.

"I'll see you guys soon," Forrest said hugging each of his siblings in turn, giving the oldest of them – Susie – a miniaturized Pokéball. "Golem'll protect you guys. Use her only as a last measure of defense, understood?" At the nods, he hugged them each good-bye once more before nodding to Misty and Alakazam, giving the Psychic-type permission to carry out Misty's orders.

"Ala… Alakazam!" The Psychic-type's eyes began to glow bright blue, as did the seven children, and once he had retrieved a mental image of his Trainer's living room used the move _Teleport_, effectively taking the younger Slate children away from danger.

"Name's Forrest Slate. I'm the Gym Leader here." Forrest held out a hand in greeting after a minute had passed, having attempted to wipe some of the worst of the dirt off first. Gary, smirking, took the proffered hand.

"Great to see that you're still around," Gary commented eyes hardening. "We need all the help we can get to beat the Hunters. Are you with us?"

"Zapdos yes," Forrest replied voice dangerous. "They killed my mother and took my father and brother Brock from me. They shall pay."

"Listen, guys. While I appreciate all of this bonding and meet-and-greet," Misty interrupted facing the boarded-up window. "We're going to have company real soon unless we can get out of here!"

"Right." After the trainers had climbed back up the Gym's roof, they called out three aerial Pokémon with a flash of bright white light. Interestingly, the three aerial Pokémon were the same three used earlier and, at Forrest's apparent nervousness Kenny took pity and invited the young Gym Leader to share Swellow with him, the blue and red bird chirping softly at the clearly nervous individual.

"Next stop: Cerulean City!" With these words, the quintet of trainers quickly flew off the Gym's roof and made a beeline for Misty's hometown, barely missing being spotted by the elite pair of Phoenix Pokémon Hunters, who were starting to get very upset that their targets kept managing to evade them.

"We should have used maximum speed to get here!" the female exclaimed gesturing wildly to the now abandoned Gym. "If we'd been faster, we'd have caught them in the act!"

Her partner didn't reply looking around the Rock-type battleground, spotting the misplaced slate tile and the footprints left behind in the dust. "There's still an opportunity to do so. We just have to figure out their next destination." Walking over to the moved tile, he knelt and fingered a piece of emerald green fabric caught on a corner, ragged edges slipping softly underneath his gloved fingers.

"How is a piece of torn fabric going to help?" The female Hunter had calmed down and was now in what her partner termed "logical mood" where she often came up with some of the best ideas or tracking methods he'd ever heard.

Her partner shook his head, chuckling mirthfully. His fingers moved from the torn fabric to a small sheet of torn notebook paper that lay a few yards away from the fabric. "This, my dear, is the answer to our problems."

Holding up the scrap of paper between his forefingers, the male chuckled once more. "Do read this and tell me what it says."

The female snatched the piece of paper with a sniff and scanned it, a grim laugh issuing from her mouth. "Indeed. 'CC'? Hmm… I do believe that they are heading for Cerulean City?"

"Quite right. They weren't careful and it shall cost them." The male got to his feet, pocketing the fabric for future examination then walked over to his Skarmory, whose garnet eyes were looking around, taking in every detail.

"Skarmory, anything else?" The man asked kneeling to examine another set of footprints in the dust and the Steel-type could almost imagine that she was back in her Master's hometown, patrolling for any criminals that she could take down with a well-aimed _Swift_ or grab the individual and carry them fifty feet above the ground in preparation for a well thought-out scare tactic. Then, reality came back with a sickening crunch: she was standing in a wrecked Pokémon Gym with her beloved Trainer dressed in the clothing of the same group who took him away from his hometown, his responsibilities and his Pokémon.

"Skar, Skar." Her Trainer sighed in annoyance pinching his nose. His partner merely proceeded to lightly cackle before he decided to be nice and reached out to her partner to offer aid to stand up. This, surprisingly, was accepted and a small, but genuine smile was sent her way as well, though she wasn't sure if it was really a true smile as the male's hood was still in place.

"So, now what, oh Flying Master?" the female asked then halted as a chill wind blew through the empty Gym. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

The male, having felt the same way shrugged. "I don't know, but I suppose it is minor. If it was something important, the Master Elder would have told me." Skarmory rolled her eyes.

"Now," he continued hood moving slightly despite the absence of wind. "Shall we take a much faster route to Cerulean? I believe that if we travel south and fly over Diglett's Cave and around Mt. Moon, we'll arrive before the enemies, giving us an advantage."

"Excellent!" was the response and as the two trainers once more commanded their Flying Pokémon to take to the air both hoped and prayed that this plan would be successful. They knew that their failure would enrage the Master Elder, something which both of them wished to avoid at all costs…


End file.
